Children 'starved' for vitamin A for more than half a year

On the morning of June 1, many parents in Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh , reported that when they brought their children to the neighborhood hall to take vitamin A regularly, they received the answer "no vitamin A" from medical staff.

Ms. N. (residing in residential group 2, Nam Ly Ward, Dong Hoi City) said she has a small child and wants to give him vitamin A every two years. However, in December 2022, the ward health station announced on Facebook that there was no vitamin A. Most recently, on May 31, the residential group announced "on the morning of June 1, take the child to the cultural house to take vitamins and deworm". But when she arrived, she was informed by medical staff that there was no vitamin A.

Vitamin A has a great influence on children's development.

Through our research, vitamin A deficiency in children occurs not only in Nam Ly Ward but also in all communes and wards in Dong Hoi City.

A representative of Thuan Duc Commune Health Station (Dong Hoi City) confirmed that since the end of 2022, the station has not been given vitamin A for children. This representative said he did not see any allocation from superiors and did not know why.

On the morning of June 1, Mr. Phan Tien Hoang, Head of the Nutrition Department, Quang Binh Center for Disease Control (CDC Quang Binh), said that vitamin A deficiency is occurring in the entire Quang Binh province. Mr. Hoang also said that many provinces in the country are also in a similar situation.

The reason, according to Mr. Hoang, is that this is a type of vitamin sponsored by an American pharmaceutical company, which is supplied annually to Vietnam through the National Institute of Nutrition. "During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the shipment to Vietnam was delayed, and this is a sponsored type of vitamin A, which is not sold on the market, so there was a delay," said Mr. Hoang.

However, according to Mr. Hoang, 2 days ago, we received information that vitamin A had arrived at the National Institute of Nutrition's warehouse and now CDC Quang Binh has sent someone to receive it. "It is expected that when we get vitamin A back, we will make a plan to bring it to the health stations so that children can take it in the coming days," said Mr. Hoang.

Also according to Mr. Hoang, according to the allocation, Quang Binh received about 100,000 vitamin A pills to distribute free of charge to children eligible for vitamin A.

According to medical experts, vitamin A has a huge impact on children's development. If deficient, it can easily cause many serious diseases.

Taking vitamin A helps children strengthen their immune system, helping to fight against infectious agents; improve visual health, keeping children's eyes sharp; develop healthily in all aspects; protect the epithelium, small intestine, tracheal mucosa and excretory glands; increase resistance and prevent infectious diseases, tuberculosis, tetanus, measles or cancer; develop a healthy and complete skeletal system.

When lacking vitamin A, it will lead to children growing slowly, being stunted or having slow development. Early symptoms of vitamin A deficiency are night blindness (reduced ability to see light), making the mucous membranes and epithelium vulnerable. In particular, if the cornea of ​​the eye is seriously affected, it can lead to blindness, weaken the immune system, reduce resistance to disease, the body is at high risk of serious infections and susceptible to diseases such as respiratory infections, diarrhea or measles.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/quang-binh-tre-em-doi-vitamin-a-hon-nua-nam-185230601143354628.htm