KARACHI, Feb. 10: Immunization programmes are currently registered to reach about 80 per cent of the world’s infants each year and efforts are on to further streamline Vitamin A supplementation.

A WHO report said that many of those not receiving vitamin A supplementation are those who are in routine contact with health facilities which provide immunization services.

The situation exposes them to increased risk of getting blind besides enhancing chances to be inflicted with measles, diarrhoea and respiratory infections, which further depletes the vitamin A, ultimately leading to mortality.

Deficiency of Vitamin A is also associated with a variety of other infectious diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, rheumatic fever and otitis media.

An estimated 880,000 to 136 million infants and young children were stated to lose their lives to measles each year though immunization is an effective preventive measure.

The report mentioned that the target for Vitamin A supplementation linked to immunization services is to provide doses of vitamin A, from at least six months of age to all children who are at risk of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD).

With vitamin A supplementation, measles-related mortality rates could be reduced by half and eye damage could also be largely prevented even in areas where vitamin A deficiency is not considered a serious problem.

“Not every child is, however, reached by immunization services,” the report said, adding “often those in need have the lowest coverage.”

In countries, including Pakistan, where VAD is a public health problem, the sufferers are those living in remote areas or socially disadvantaged situations, where parents do not take the children to the services offered.

Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) has adopted special strategies to overcome these hurdles using both routine and supplementary immunization contacts to reach the “hard to reach”. It is with the belief that if the EPI vaccines can reach virtually every child, so can vitamin A supplementation. The WHO and UNICEF consultation group jointly recommend that in all countries where VAD is a public health problem, vitamin A supplementation be integrated with immunization programmes.—APP