Vitamin A deficiency is a common form of micronutrient malnutrition affecting 21.1% of preschool-age children and 5.6% of pregnant women worldwide. The available evidence suggests that nearly 800 000 deaths worldwide can be attributed to vitamin A deficiency among women and children.
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient required for maintaining immune function, eye health, vision, growth and survival in human beings. Severe vitamin A deficiency can be identified by the presence of the classical eye signs of xerophthalmia in individuals.
Xerophthalmia remains the leading known cause of preventable blindness in young children . Corneal xerosis, ulceration, and necrosis (keratomalacia) are the result of severe vitamin A deficiency, often precipitated by severe infection such as measles in the presence of wasting malnutrition.
Other health Consequences of vitamin A deficiency including:
•Corneal blindness and disability
•Anemia
•Stunted growth
•Impaired immunity
•Increased severity of infection (eg,measles, diarrhea, or malaria)
•Mortality
Lack of vitamin A – essential for the functioning of the immune system – can lead to irreversible blindness.
Signs and symptoms of vitamin A deficiency
