Vitamin A Deficiency - China

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China

Vitamin A

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		Program Data
		Monitoring
		Program Resources

	EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA


Clinical Vitamin A Deficiency
Most Recent Clinical VAD Survey
	Date:	December 1999- March 2000
	Groups Surveyed:	Children 0-59 months
	Sample Size:	8669
	Sampling Method:	Not Reported
	Sampling Strategy:	Not Reported
	Estimated Prevalence of VAD:

Group	Sample Size	Indicator	Prevalence in Sample	Population Affected
0-59 months	8669	Night blindness	0.14%
0-59 months	8669	Xeroma	0.12%
Total	8669	Night blindness and xeroma	.26%


Sub-clinical Vitamin A Deficiency
Most Recent Clinical VAD Survey
	Note: The most recent clinical VAD survey was described above. The survey assessed clinical and sub-clinical signs of VAD.

Estimated Prevalence of VAD: Indicator is serum retinol < or = to 20 mg/dl.

Group	Sample Size	Prevalence in Sample	Population Affected
> 6 months	359	33.4%
6-11 months	843	17.9%
12-23 months	1553	12.7%
24-47 months	2866	10.6%
48-59 months	3040	8.0%
Total	8669	11.7%


	POLICY AND LEGISLATION

Legislation on VAD
	The eradication of VAD in China was included as one of the goals for the 1990’s, in The National Long-term Programme for the Development of Chinese Children. The legislation called for a focus on supplementation and fortification. Although, there are no commodities that are being promoted for fortification


Government Agency to Address VAD
	No government body has been established to address VAD; the task will be undertaken by the Chinese Ministry of Health.


	PROGRAM DATA


Supplementation
Program Description
	The VA supplementation program was organized by the MOH and funded by UNICEF. It targets children 0-3 years in five poor provinces.
	The program began in April of 2000.


Targeting
	Children 0 - 3 years in five provinces.


Implementation
	Coverage: Over 100,000 children
	Supplementation is given through national immunization days, immunization contacts, and other mass campaigns.
	The sizes of the doses given are 200,000 and 100,000 IU.


Fortification
	There are no VitA fortification programs



	MONITORING

Clinical and Sub-clinical VAD
	The surveys described in the Epidemiology section are not to be repeated, and there are no monitoring activities of VAD.
	When VAD is assessed night-blindness and serum retinol levels are used.

Supplementation
	The coverage of supplementation is monitored at sampling sites by checking serum retinol levels.

Fortification
	There are no VA fortification programs to monitor.



	PROGRAM RESOURCES


Donor Agencies
	WHO and UNICEF are external groups involved in VAD programs. UNICEF provides funding for some of these activities.


VAD Program Funding History and Projections
	There is a plan to establish a national system for monitoring sub-clinical VAD in reproductive aged women and children. The estimated cost is US$ 400,000.