Vitamin A deficiency in Nigerian children

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a global problem of public health significance in many under-privileged communities of the world. No national data is available on the vitamin A status in Nigeria. A population-based, cross-sectional study, using a two-staged stratified cluster sampling method was conducted. The national prevalence of Xerophthalmia was 1.1% whilst the national prevalence of VAD using serum retinol < 20g/dl (or 0.7 mol/l) as cut-off was 28.1%; both values are indicative of a problem of public health significance. This paper evaluates the implications of vitamin A deficiency in Nigeria. There is an urgent need for the relevant authorities to pursue active and realistic policies in order to prevent further unnecessary blindness, morbidity and mortality in Nigerian children.