(e) Virtual elimination of vitamin A deficiency (at least 80 per cent of all children under 24 months of age in areas where vitamin A deficiency exists should receive adequate vitamin A)

(e) Virtually eliminating vitamin A deficiency and its consequences

Dr. Agus Right. Remember, what a vitamin is, and this is key,

What a vitamin is is something the body can't synthesize enough of.

Should I take vitamin C? Should I be taking wheatgrass?

Should I take vitamin C? Should I be taking wheatgrass?

Swiss chemist Tadeus Reichstein synthesised the vitamin for the first time in 1933.

And we need vitamin D. It's now a requirement that children have a certain amount.

So a vitamin doesn't mean that more is better. Doesn't mean that it's good for you.

Sal Fascinating. There's these other side affects of, one a vitamin doesn't necessarily mean a good thing.

When they're young, they've their teeth straightened their tonsils taken out and gallons of vitamins pumped into them.

In fact, we could avoid the death of at least one million children every year by improving their intake of it.

Despite the reduced use of National Immunization Days, vitamin A supplementation coverage remained steady.

In a luteal phase, B vitamins are being called into action, because the lining is thickening, and it is a very energized process.

More than two thirds of the children in the least developed countries received vitamin A supplements in 2004.

Slightly less than 50 respond to this treatment and need to take supplemental vitamin B6 for the rest of their lives.

In 2005 it launched with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the first National Child Health Day, which enabled some 2 million children to receive vitamin A supplements and other health services.

Some 21 countries achieved over 70 per cent coverage of children under five years of age with two rounds of supplementation.

For example, immunization contacts can be linked with other interventions such as the distribution of insecticide treated materials for the prevention of malaria, vitamin A supplements and information sharing on infant feeding.

Measles vaccinations and vitamin A supplementation have also been prioritized as life saving interventions in a number of recent emergency and post conflict situations.

It increases susceptibility to common childhood infections such as measles and diarrheal diseases, and is the single most important cause of childhood blindness in developing countries.

For example, recent data show that even a moderate deficiency of Vitamin A results in higher mortality. In fact, we could avoid the death of at least one million children every year by improving their intake of it.

32. FAO has ongoing vitamin A deficiency projects in a number of developing countries, including Burkina Faso, Ghana, India, Nepal, Nigeria and Viet Nam possible expansion to other countries is under review.

Meanwhile, the Enhanced Outreach Strategy for Child Survival, which targets approximately 7.5 million children with nutrition screening, vitamin A supplements, immunization and supplementary feeding, has already covered 246 of the 325 planned administrative districts.

Meanwhile, the Enhanced Outreach Strategy for Child Survival, which targets approximately 7.5 million children with nutrition screening, vitamin A supplements, immunization and supplemental feeding, has already covered 172 of the 325 planned administrative districts.