Ensuring adequate Vitamin A supplementation for young children

Young children receive vitamin A at the Xuan Truong Health Station in Xuan Loc commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: Hanh Dung

The second round of the 2025 vitamin A supplementation campaign is being simultaneously implemented across localities in the province, aiming to ensure that all children of eligible age receive adequate amounts of this essential micronutrient.

Small micronutrient, big impact

M.D. Tran Dinh Chat, Head of the Planning - Professional - Nursing Department at the Xuan Loc Regional Medical Center in Dong Nai Province, said that before the campaign, the center developed a plan and reviewed the list of children aged 6 to under 36 months in the area. Health workers were trained on the campaign’s purpose, content, and the correct method of administering vitamin A to children. The center also coordinated with the commune People’s Committee, along with local agencies, departments, and mass organizations, to conduct outreach and encourage parents to bring their children for supplementation. In this round, the Xuan Loc area has more than 9.7 thousand children eligible to receive free vitamin A.

To achieve the target of providing vitamin A to 100% of children in the eligible age group, many communes and wards have adopted practical approaches in their communication efforts.

Doctor Bao Thu, Head of the Xuan Truong Health Station in Xuan Loc commune, said: “We compile the list of children based on the vaccination software. Additionally, village and hamlet health workers review and add children who are temporarily residing in the area and are therefore not included in the system. Health staff also visit preschools in the commune to verify the lists and distribute leaflets to teachers. At the same time, we ask the parish priest to help share the information with residents in the locality.”

The second round of the 2025 vitamin A supplementation campaign in Dong Nai province will run until December 10 at all health stations and designated sites across the province. Parents are encouraged to take their children for vitamin A on schedule, ensure the correct dosage, and maintain a proper nutritional diet so that children can develop comprehensively in both physical and cognitive aspects.

Nguyen Thi My Phuong, a resident of Xuan Loc commune, shared: “The health station reminds me of the schedule, so I take my child for supplementation regularly each round. All of my children receive adequate vitamin A because I know it is very beneficial for their health and eyesight.”

Vitamin A plays a vital role in the comprehensive development of children. It is an essential micronutrient that helps protect vision, prevent dry eyes and blindness, and supports the development of bones, skin, and tissues. Most importantly, it strengthens the immune system of children.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Tran Thanh Duong, Director of the National Institute of Nutrition under the Ministry of Health, emphasized: “Vitamin A helps enhance children’s vision, support normal growth, and improve immunity, thereby preventing respiratory infections, diarrhea, measles, and other diseases. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to reduced vision, weakened immunity, and in the most severe cases, blindness.”

According to guidelines from the National Institute of Nutrition under the Ministry of Health, children aged 6 to under 12 months receive a 100,000-IU capsule (blue). Those aged 12 to under 60 months receive a 200,000-IU capsule (red). Although each dose is just a small capsule, the benefits of vitamin A are substantial.

Preventing malnutrition, overweight, and obesity

After children receive vitamin A, health staff provide parents with nutritional guidance to help maximize vitamin A absorption and support healthy growth and development. Recommended vitamin A-rich foods include animal liver, eggs, milk, fish, meat, and dark green vegetables such as sweet leaf and water spinach; as well as red, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables like carrots, pumpkin, and papaya. Parents are also advised to monitor their children for 48 hours after supplementation and take them to a healthcare facility if any unusual symptoms appear.

Field observations at health stations indicate that most children have weights and heights within standard ranges, with only a few cases of mild malnutrition. In the Xuan Loc area, according to M.D. Tran Dinh Chat, the rate of stunting and underweight among children has significantly decreased in recent years, dropping from 15-16% to below 10%.

M.D. Tran Dinh Chat added: “Every month, we hold counseling sessions for health staff and village health workers, integrating them into ongoing campaigns to guide parents on supplementing other micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, calcium, and zinc. This initiative helps children build a strong immune system and develop comprehensively, contributing to a future generation that is healthy both physically and mentally.”

At the provincial level, according to Tran Ngoc Quang, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Center for Disease Control, the center will continue to coordinate with healthcare facilities to conduct communication programs and training sessions aimed at raising parents’ awareness of proper child care. These efforts aim to prevent both malnutrition and the risk of overweight and obesity among children.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Duong, Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, emphasized: “Vitamin A supplementation is crucial. In addition, children need a diverse diet covering all four nutritional groups to ensure adequate essential micronutrients for comprehensive development.”

By Hanh Dung – Translated by Huyen Trang, Minho