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On World Food Day, Save the Children and Vitamin Angels Work to Ensure Children are Well-Nourished, Protected from Blindness
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Young children receive critical supplements to help them thrive. Photo credit: Vitamin Angels |
Westport, Conn. (October 15, 2007) — As nations around the globe mark World Food Day, Save the Children and Vitamin Angels are working to provide critical supplements and antiparasitic medicines to millions of children at risk of malnutrition and childhood blindness.
Through a partnership called "Operation 20/20," Vitamin Angels is donating Vitamin A supplements and deworming medicines to Save the Children programs, which will directly benefit more than 4 million children and 1 million lactating mothers in 15 developing countries.
Launched in July with the goal of ending vitamin A deficiency worldwide by the year 2020, Operation 20/20 has already reached children through schools and health facilities in Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique and Nicaragua. The program employs two low-cost, low-tech health interventions through Save the Children's school health and nutrition, basic education, HIV/AIDS, child survival, and hunger and malnutrition programs. Each year, in addition to two high-dose vitamin A capsules, children also will receive two doses of anti-parasitic medication.
In developing countries, more than 125 million preschoolers and 85 million school-age children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, putting them at risk of malnutrition, sickness and death. Without sufficient vitamin A in their daily diet, 500,000 of these children go blind every year.
In addition, studies show that parasitic infections in children can prevent adequate absorption of essential nutrients, including Vitamin A. Hundreds of millions of children in developing countries suffer from parasitic infections, including 320 million children with roundworm; 233 million with whipworm and 239 million with hookworm — all of which can be treated with a single deworming pill. Eliminating parasitic infections also has proven to help prevent anemia, malnutrition and slowed mental and physical development in children.
"This program will reduce malnutrition, prevent blindness, save children's lives and help them to thrive," said Tobias Stillman, adviser to Save the Children's nutrition programs. "It lays the foundation for a better future for children. A healthy child is better able to stave off other illnesses and better prepared for learning. The long-lasting nutritional benefits that underlie good eyesight and longer attention spans will help keep children in school, allowing them to realize their full potential."
Operation 20/20 is already serving children in the following countries:
Indonesia: Distribution to children at health posts in Belawan and Medan Arnplas sub-districts in Indonesia have begun. In Medan, a community hard-hit by the South Asia tsunami, the partnership is directly benefiting children who are still recovering from the disaster. Furthermore, Operation 20/20 is in the process of becoming part of the Indonesian government's national vitamin A program.
Malawi: Distribution will be implemented through Save the Children's nationally recognized School Health and Nutrition Program. Vitamin A capsules will be distributed through 101 schools in Mangochi District, protecting over 50,000 children between 6 to 10 years old and 40,000 preschoolers.
Mozambique: In this country, where infants and young children are most vulnerable, Operation 20/20 will reach 720,000 young children this year. Specifically, through our child and reproductive health program in the Nampula and Gaza Provinces, community-based distribution of vitamin A will focus will focus on children ages 6 months to 6 years and for new mothers during the post-partum period. The donation will also support the provincial maternal and child health program by expanding access to vitamin A using trained community health workers for distribution during home visits and mobile brigades. In addition, the donation of antiparasitic medicine will support the national school health program in primary schools to deworm their students under our sponsorship program.
Nicaragua: Distribution will reach 500,000 children nationwide through the Ministry of Health's annual Vitamin A and deworming campaign. With this donation, the Ministry of Health will be able to avoid some tough compromises — not having to purchase such a large quantity of vitamin A and antiparasitic medicines will free up resources to invest in other much needed, complimentary health interventions for children at risk.
Learn more about the effects of school health and nutrition in developing countries.
Visit Vitamin Angels website and learn more about Operation 20/20.
