Coverage of Vitamin A Supplementation and Role of Community Health Days as Delivery Mechanism: A Community-based Survey in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate coverage of Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS) and the contribution of Community Health Days (CHD) in its distribution. Methods: A population based survey was conducted in August to December 2011. All children 6 to 59 months old (n=4258) in randomly selected households were included in this study. Caregivers were shown vitamin A capsules and asked for each child whether they had received a supplement and whether if they had participated in CHD that took place in June 2011. Results: The overall VAS coverage was 43.8%, where 88% of all VAS delivered was through CHD. Half (51%) of the eligible children did not participated in CHD hence did not received VAS. Association between VAS reception and child sex, age and nutritional status was analysed. Children who were acutely malnourished (52.3% wasted versus 43.3% normal P<0.01 and 50.0% underweight versus 41.6% normal P<0.000) were more likely to receive VAS. Conclusions: VAS coverage was low. Most of the distributed VASs were delivered at CHDs but attendance at CHD was poor. Improving coverage of CHD appears as a valuable way to improve coverage of VAS.