UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

Periodic, high-dose vitamin A supplementation of children 6-59 months of age is a proven, low-cost intervention which has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality by 12 to 24 per cent, and is therefore an important programme in support of efforts to reduce child mortality. The GAC-funded three-year Vitamin A Supplementation in a New Age (VINA) project (FY2023-2026) aims to reduce mortality in girls and boys under the age of 5 years that are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency in fifteen countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Through this project UNICEF will support more equitable, gender responsive and efficient delivery of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) working in partnership with country ministries of health. The VINA project will support increased government ownership and financial sustainability of vitamin A supplementation programs, strengthened delivery systems, and enhanced women’s and girl’s empowerment. The project will also seek to address systematic gender barriers at a household level that impede access to health services. Overall, UNICEF estimates that this project will reach approximately 41 million children under 5 years of age in 15 countries with vitamin A supplementation by 2026, with a focus on vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups.