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Canada to combat malnutrition and blindness in Zimbabwe
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
June 11, 2006

Through an injection of US$900,000 from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canada working in partnership with Helen Keller International (HKI) will support efforts to combat malnutrition and blindness in Zimbabwe.

Canada’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Roxanne Dubé, made the announcement at the Government of Zimbabwe’s launch of the immunization program for children under 5 years old, in Makoni district, in the Manicaland Province today.

"For some time now, Canada has played a leading role in mitigating the effects of malnutrition in the region. We are encouraged that some two million children in Zimbabwe will benefit directly, preventing an estimated 4 900 deaths. For as little as US$1 per person, a twice-yearly distribution of high-dose vitamin-A capsules will prevent blindness and improve these children’s chances of survival," she said.

"On issues of such critical humanitarian importance and for the direct benefit of the most vulnerable people, we are pleased to collaborate with the dedicated staff in the Ministry of Health and the many committed care givers in rural and urban Zimbabwe," Dubé added.

The initiative, which is being implemented by Hellen Keller International (HKI), in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO, aims to reduce mortality in children under the age of five through promoting sustained, high-coverage Vitamin A supplementation combined with other child survival health interventions. This will be achieved by distributing Vitamin A capsules to children between the ages of 6 to 59 months as part of a scheduled, integrated measles campaign. In Zimbabwe, this initiative is being conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (MoH&CW).

This intervention is part of a larger CIDA initiative currently being implemented to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa in reducing mortality of children in the target age group by promoting sustained high-coverage of Vitamin A supplementation combined with child survival health interventions through an injection of US$ 12m over three years.

Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) has long been recognized as the leading cause of preventable blindness and child mortality in developing countries. Every year, up to 500 000 children go blind from VAD and 70 percent of these die within one year of contracting blindness. In Zimbabwe 28 percent of children below the age of five are reportedly Vitamin A deficient and annual deaths attributable to VAD have been estimated at 4 900.

However, improving vitamin A status has a positive impact on the health of children as it increases resistance to disease, combats blindness, and dramatically improves survival rates. It also reduces child-mortality rates from measles by 50%, from diarrhea by 40%, and from other causes by 23%. In HIV positive children, Vitamin A supplementation can slow down progression to AIDS, thereby enhancing their survival. Studies reveal that VAD-control can avert over 645 000 deaths per year in the sub-region.

"VAD control has therefore the promise to be one of the most cost-effective and high-impact child survival interventions in this region of the world," Dubé said.

It is hoped that the campaign will achieve a minimum 85 percent coverage of the targeted age group, while complementing other child survival and health interventions. This will be followed by a post-campaign survey to assess the extent of the coverage. The programme also involves improving monitoring, evaluation and data use, particularly progressing towards a child-centred monitoring system, while enhancing the capacity of government and other local partners to maintain vitamin A supplementation. Attempts will be made to encourage the use of Vitamin A supplementation in curative services for children in accordance with national policies.

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