Project for the prevention of blinding malnutrition
Krishnamurthy, K.A.; Venkataswamy, G.; Moorthy, O.K.; Arora, S.; Pinto, J.
NFI Bulletin (January): 4-5
1982
Document Number: 426928
Over 10 years ago the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India, developed a programme for control of nutritional blindness by giving children at risk between 1 and 3 years old massive doses of vitamin A by mouth, 200 000 IU in one teaspoonful. The programme was included in the Fourth Five Year Plan for implementation in 9 states of the Indian Union. A subsequent evaluation of the programme by the same Institute showed that the programme was being implemented fairly satisfactorily in some states, such as Kerala and Karnataka, and had produced significant impact therein, but its implementation in other states, for example Bihar, was far from satisfactory. A project is described which, it is hoped, will help to reinforce the National Programme and ensure for it adequate focus as an integral and important part of primary health care.