What is the situation regarding vitamin A deficiency in Bangladesh?
In Bangladesh, the prevalence of night blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is 3.2%, which is well above the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for a major public health problem. More than a million children have visible signs of vitamin A deficiency and about half a million children under 6 are suffering from night blindness. 30,000 children go blind every year and almost half of them die within a year of becoming blind. Moreover, a child deficient in vitamin A faces higher risks of morbidity and mortality than a healthy child. One of the primary causes of the high level of vitamin A deficiency is the low intake of vegetables.
The United Nations World Summit for Children and the WHO/UNICEF conference on "Ending Hidden Hunger" called for a reduction in child blindness, morbidity, and mortality by the worldwide control or elimination of vitamin A deficiency.
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