AFRICA/SENEGAL - Malaria can be reduced among children, giving them Vitamin A supplements

Dakar (Agenzia Fides) – The distribution of Vitamin A supplements in areas malaria-prone areas could help reduce the cases among children by one-third. This is what a report from the “Malaria Journal” entitled “Malaria and the lack of Vitamin A in African children: A vicious circle?” which presents the results of studies conducted since 1995 in Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Burkina Faso. In Papua New Guinea and Burkina Faso, the Vitamin A supplements have reduced the number of cases by one-third.
In spite of the conviction of the experts of the World Program Against Malaria (of the World Health Organization) on the relationship between Vitamin A deficiency and malaria will need further study, it is certain that the Vitamin A supplements aid the children's immune systems in fighting a series of infections. According to the WHO, the vitamin supplements favor a complete immunity among children and can reduce the number of deaths of children under 5 by 30%. From 1995-2005 in Africa and southeast Asia, children of this age were among those with the greatest deficiency. There were at least 150 million who had been affected by blindness and that showed a severe lack of Vitamin A. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 70% of children worldwide run the risk of Vitamin A deficiency. The “Micronutrient Initiative,” a non-profit initiative that helps governments to conduct two yearly campaigns of distribution of micronutrients, says that a Vitamin A supplement every six months can save the life of a child and prevent the disease. A Vitamin A capsule costs an average of 2 cents. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 16/7/2009)