Haiti Iodine

Honduras

Vitamin A

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Monitoring
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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL DATA

     
Clinical Vitamin A Deficiency
Most Recent Clinical VAD Survey - There have been no clinical VAD surveys done in Honduras.
Date:
Groups Surveyed:
Sample Size:
Sampling Method:
Sampling Strategy:
Estimated Prevalence of VAD: Presence of at least one of the following clinical indicators
1.  Conjunctival xeroxes with bitots spot
2.  Corneal xeroxes/ ulceration/ keratomalacia
3.  Corneal scar
 
Sub-clinical Vitamin A Deficiency
Most Recent Sub-clinical VAD Survey - National level
Date: 1996
Groups Surveyed: Children 12-71 months in age.
Sample Size: 1734 children.
Sampling Method:
Estimated Prevalence of VAD:  Indicator is serum retinol < 20 µg/dL

Region

Prevalence

Estimated Population Affected

TEGUCIGALPA

8.1%

SAN PEDRO SULA 7.3%

OTROS URBANOS

15.6%

OTROS RURALES

15.9%

OCCIDENTE RURAL

18.7%

SUR RURAL

7.9%

National Total

 13%

 

 

 
     
 

POLICY AND LEGISLATION

 

Legislation on VAD

    VAD legislation exists in Honduras and it was enacted in 1976.  The law was mainly to fortify all the sugar produced or imported into Honduras.
    Legislation has been significantly revised.
    The government has not published any documents that state the national policy regarding VAD.
 

Government Agency to Address VAD

     Ministry of Health - The agency's function are to coordinate and monitor VAD activities.
     Contact Information:  Fortification - Department of Food Control; Supplementation - Department of Mother-Child Health
 
     

PROGRAM DATA

   
Supplementation
Program Description
     Vitamin A supplementation is provided universally to post-partum women and children 6-59 months. 
     Supplementation coverage for children 12-71 months in age is 89.9% (sometimes) and women 15-49 years in age was 30%.
     Supplementations are given out through National Immunization Days, schools and clinics.

Targeting

     Post-partum women 15-49 years: estimated 79,731 received at least one dose/yr.
     Children 12-59 months: estimated 452,063 received at least one dose/yr.
     Children 6-11 months: estimated 159,808 received at least one dose/yr.
Implementation

Vitamin A Supply (for target year)

Source

Supplementation: Capsules

No. & Value of Capsules (2001)

 

200,000 IU

100,000 IU

50,000 IU

10,000 IU

 

No.

$

No.

$

No.

$

No.

$

Imported into country

1,902,037

DONATED BY UNICEF/MI

210,049

DONATED BY UNICEF/MI

N/A

 

N/A

 

Locally produced

N/A

 

 N/A

 

 N/A

 

 N/A

 

Totals

 1,902,037

 

 210,049

 

 0

 

0

 

 

 

Fortification

    

The only food reported to be fortified with vitamin A is sugar.  In the year 2000, approximately 40% of the commodity was fortified at a level of 4.6 ppm.  A monitoring system is in existence to assess the level of fortification.

    

Between the years 1999 and 2000, there was a production of 3,617,547 qq of fortified sugar.  It was consumed by approximately 6,000,000 people.

    
Other Program - None reported.
     
     
 
MONITORING
 

Clinical and Sub-clinical VAD

     The surveys described in the epidemiology section are not being repeated.
     There are no clinical VAD monitoring activities.
     The indicator that is used for monitoring sub-clinical VAD is serum retinol <20µg/dL.
Supplementation
     There is no monitoring of vitamin A capsules.
Fortification
     Sugar fortification is monitored by the producers (sugar factories), investigators from the Department of Food Control at the factories, and also at the retail level.  In addition, the Department of Food Control conducts surveillance at the household levels.
     
     
PROGRAM RESOURCES
   
Donor Agencies

 

Implementing Agency

 

Description of Activities

Expenditure and source of funds in current year

Supplementation

Fortification

Ministry of Health

NR

X

X

INCAP/OPS

NR

 

X

 

MI

NR

X

X

 

UNICEF

NR

 

X

USAID

NR

 

X

NR - not reported
 
VAD Program Funding History and Projections
     Not Reported.