Regional Symposium: Vitamin A Supplementation for Child Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa

DAKAR, SENEGAL; APRIL 4–6, 2016

Outcome Statement – Presentations – Participant List – Full Report

The Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA), through its technical partners (Center for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC; Helen Keller International – HKI; Nutrition International – NI; and The United Nations Children’s Fund – UNICEF), hosted a three-day regional workshop in Dakar, Senegal from April 4-6, 2016. The workshop was attended by approximately 120 participants from 23 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa representing both nutrition and immunization sectors, policy makers and managers from Ministries of Health, country- regional and global-level technical partners from the GAVA, and the Global Affairs Canada.

The goal of the workshop was to re-examine vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa in light of epidemiologic and programmatic changes and develop broad country-specific roadmaps for VAS for the next five years. Specifically, the workshop aimed to:

Review and re-establish the relevance of VAS as a child survival intervention in the region,
Examine delivery models, especially in light of the phasing out of polio campaigns,
Share experiences and best practices on VAS delivery, emphasizing Child Health Days and other community outreach strategies,
Identify ways to better integrate VAS into existing health care delivery systems, including but not limited to EPI, and
Develop strategies to increase support and institutionalization of VAS as an important component of a package of services to improve child survival in Africa.

Throughout the workshop, participants developed, vetted and came to consensus on key points to include in a declarative Outcome Statement entitled “Vitamin A Supplementation Remains Vital in Sub-Saharan Africa“. Participants agreed to use the Declaration to advocate and inform priority actions for the integration of VAS within their country’s health system and work toward its institutionalization. Some key elements of this commitment to advocacy shared between participants included the need to:

Develop country-specific advocacy strategies using the Declaration as a foundation;
Advocate for a dedicated budget line for nutrition, and activities within which VAS can be integrated, in domestic health budgets;
Target high profile political leaders such as members of parliament to sensitize them on the benefits, cost-effectiveness and importance of VAS for child survival and enlist them as key advocates for this intervention;
Use every relevant opportunity to promote the importance of investing in VAS for child survival, such as budgeting or strategic nutrition and health workshops, meetings of nutrition coordinating bodies, Polio Legacy planning meetings, or any other relevant structures, meetings and/or high-visibility events.

Download the full report of the 2016 Regional Symposium: Vitamin A Supplementation for Child Survival in Sub-Saharan Africa, or click on the links below for more information on the Symposium.

Outcome Statement – Presentations – Participant List – Full Report

Related Resources

Vitamin A supplementation for infants and children 6-59 months of age (WHO): English – French
Trends and mortality effects of VAD in children in 238 LMIC countries 1991-2013 (Stevens G. et al; Lancet, 2015)
Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from 6 months to 5 years of age (Imdad A. et al; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2010)