Vitamin A deficiency control strategies in Kenya

Answers

1. Vitamin A supplementation
The Ministry of Health target children under five years and child bearing mothers by
provision of vitamin A capsules.

2. Dietary diversification
The community is encouraged to eat a variety of foods; more so the vitamin A rich
foods. The Ministry of Agriculture has been promoting the growing and consumption
of the orange fleshed sweet potato that is rich in vitamin A. Families are provide with
the potato vines and shown how to grow them. They are also taught how to utilize
and consume the products in various forms e.g. sweet potato biscuits, cakes, crisps
and many others. The community benefits from both the consumption of the sweet potato and as income generation.
3. Food fortification
Food fortification offers another solution to vitamin A deficiency by enriching the
commonly used foods with vitamin A. Cooking oils and fats, margarine are fortified
with vitamin A.
4. Nutrition education
Education on the consumption of vitamin A rich foods is also carried out in
hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres and the community by nutritionists, health
workers and extension workers. In community outreach, mothers are directly
involved in growing and preparing foodstuffs. The mass media education through
the radio, video and newspapers also prove effective.
5. Kitchen gardens/homestead food production
This is aimed at long term nutritional health while addressing poverty. The Ministry of
Agriculture through the extension programme helps communities to establish homestead
gardens and to cultivate fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin A and other micro nutrients.
Poultry keeping for eggs and meat production, sheep and goat rearing, rabbit keeping are
also encouraged for small scale farmers.
6. Consumption of green leafy vegetables (indigenous)
The Kenya Seed Company in collaboration with Agricultural plant breeding stations is
doing studies to develop indigenous hybrid vegetables seeds that are resistant to pest and
diseases and also high yielding. These vegetables e.g. amaranthus, black night shade etc are
rich in vitamin A.
7. Breast feeding
The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend that infants should be
exclusively breast-fed for the first six months and breast feeding should continue well into
the second year. Breast milk is rich vitamin A. The Ministry of Health in Kenya through the
ante natal and post-natal clinics educate mothers on the practice of breast feeding.
Promotion of the correct complementary practices is also emphasized during these clinic
visits.
8. Control of infections and parasitic diseases
Mothers are advised to de-worm their children at regular intervals.
9. Nutrition surveillance
The government has identified areas of need and has designed some solutions to check the
problem through the supply of milk to school children in slum areas. This is a program that
is yet to be implemented.

Titany answered the question on November 8, 2021 at 08:18

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Vitamin A deficiency control strategies in Kenya

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