360 days of vitamin A supplementation to prevent childhood blindness in Mozambique

Impact Level

Project managed by: One for the World

Country: Mozambique

Project Description

Vitamin-A is an essential nutrient vital to the proper function of immune and ocular (visual) systems, and must be obtained through diet since the body does not produce it. Vitamin-A deficiencies (VAD) cause over 200,000 children to die each year and millions more to go blind, 90% of whom did not have to die or lose their sight. To prevent childhood morbidity and mortality, WHO recommends vitamin-A supplementation (VAS) every 4-6 months for all children aged 6-59 months, in areas where VAD is a public health problem. Your support to this project prevents vitamin-A deficiency in children.

More About This Project

A One for the World charity partner, Helen Keller International (HKI) supports VAS programs for preschool-aged children in African and Asian countries by providing technical assistance, engaging in advocacy, and contributing funding to governments for implementing the programs. HKI has also developed a water-soluble vitamin-A supplement formula designed to be more palatable to children, which thereby increases utilization rates among at-risk children.

HKI’s VAS programme is one of the most cost-effective interventions in the world. GiveWell, one of the world’s leading charity evaluators, estimates that purchasing and delivering a supplement costs $1.21, and that a donation of $3,000-$5,000 to HKI will save the life of a child under 5 years old.