Newsletter 02 2006.pdf - Sight and Life

NEWSLETTER 2/2006
31
SIGHT AND LIFE
Continuing nutrition education by the Youth
Volunteer Group, Nepal
Ashish Sharma, Youth Volunteer Group (YVG), Banepa, Kavrepalanchok, Kathmandu,
Nepal
In SIGHT AND LIFE Newsletter
3/2005 (pp. 27–29) we reported
on the nutrition education program
made possible by financial
and logistical support from SIGHT
AND LIFE. We were very pleased
when SIGHT AND LIFE gave us
the opportunity to continue a
similar program in another area
of Nepal.
About 43% of Nepal’s total population
of 23.8 million is under the
age of 16. Of these, 3% suffer
from vitamin A deficiency xerophthalmia.
Eye diseases are considered
to be a vast problem which
has adverse effects in the mental
as well as physical development
of children. This gave us the incentive
to continue this Nutrition
Education Campaign.
Despite the fact that the National
Vitamin A Program for the prevention
of vitamin A deficiency has
been ongoing for many years
now (editor: see SIGHT AND LIFE
Newsletter 3/1995 pp. 12–13),
it seems that knowledge in the
population is still not sufficient.
Therefore the YVG started this
education effort in various areas
to make people aware of their
own nutrition situation and that
of their children.
From January to March 2006 this
“Nutrition Education Campaign”
was carried out in the area of
the Kavrepalanchok district. The
direct beneficiaries were 559 children
and 275 pregnant and nursing
mothers and their families.
Objectives, methods and procedures
were very similar to the
previous program, with improvements
where possible (see Newsletter
3/2005)
Children’s eye screening
The eyes of a total of 559 children
were examined by a senior ophthalmic
assistant for any signs or
symptoms of VAD. All affected
children were given a vitamin A
capsule and some of them were
referred to the Nepal Eye Hospital.
Twenty-six children (4.6%)
aged 5 months to 5 years were
found to have eye symptoms (XN
6; X1B 10: XN+X1B 7; X2+X3 3).
Conclusions and
recommendation
There has been an increase in
knowledge about vitamin A rich
food, vitamin A deficiency diseases,
blindness etc. amongst
mothers and caretakers, and
those identified with eye symptoms
received appropriate care.
The evaluation showed a very
positive impact on the people
with regard to knowledge.
Although there has been a positive
response to the program
in the areas where it is running
– with an increase in knowledge
of vitamin A rich food and ways of
consuming it, as well as more information
about VAD – this short
program of three months cannot
solve the problem completely. If
the people do not take the initiative
themselves the problem will
never be solved.
Outsiders like us are ever ready
to work in this field to increase
people’s awareness, but there are
many reasons why we cannot do
this work for very long. So if we
support and prepare some peer
groups among the local people
then they can work in a better and
more sustainable way.