In poor communities around the world, malnutrition and diarrhea often create a vicious cycle. A malnourished child is more susceptible to diarrhea and, when an infection strikes, it can quickly become severe and sap essential nutrients. When it doesn’t kill, this cycle causes stunting and cognitive impairment, and can even delay important educational milestones.1
Vitamin A supplementation is another important and low-cost intervention for controlling severe and potentially fatal diarrheal episodes.
The relative risk of dying from diarrhea increases two-fold in children with vitamin A deficiency. In countries where under-five mortality rates are high, giving semi-annual vitamin A supplements to children 6 to 59 months old decreases overall mortality from all childhood diseases by 23 percent and mortality from diarrhea by 32 percent. A dose of vitamin A for newborns has been found to be effective in reducing early mortality, and may soon be widely recommended.2
1The Lancet's Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition.
2Rice AL, West, Jr KP, Black RF. Vitamin A deficiency. In: (Ezzati M, Lopez AD, Rodgers A, Murray CL, eds): Comparative quantification of health risks—global and regional burden of disease attributable to selected major health risk factors. Volume 1. Geneva: WHO; 2004.