Adequacy of Related Nutrients and Vitamin A Status of School Children

Abstract

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is ttie major cause of blindness among children in many developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the deficiency is a problem of public health importance in at least 75 countries. Studies in Asia suggest that at least 2,50,000 children go blind each year from severe corneal xerophthalmia and an additional five million suffer from milder forms of diseased Vitamin A deficiency has been of public importance also in India. Estimates indicate that six per cent of the children manifest obvious signs of VAD particularly in the rural area and annually 30,000 to 40,000 children may be losing their eye sight due to VAD. Hence, there is a need to know about the related nutrients in the diet and vitamin A status.