Vitamin A deficiency affects 17% of Sierra Leone’s children and can cause visual impairment, increased risk of illness, and death from childhood infections such as measles and diarrhoea.
Consumption of foods rich in Vitamin A is poor. Supplements are therefore required to meet daily recommended levels.
Vitamin A and deworming campaigns have been administered biannually in Sierra Leone since 2006, but are highly donor dependent, resource intensive and require robust planning.
Solution
Montrose has been contracted by UNICEF to ensure quality standards in the implementation of Vitamin A supplementation in three districts (Bo, Kenema, and Koinadugu).
We will work with health teams and community groups to monitor the supply and delivery of services, gather information on results, suggest ways to resolve challenges, document best practices, and train health teams to carry out similar functions in the future.
Impact
Montrose’s quality assurance will ensure high standards in Vitamin A supplementation and deworming can be carried forward by the district health teams.
Capacity building work will strengthen procedures for systemised monitoring of services in communities and health facilities.
The programme will improve routine nutrition interventions to prevent and control iron and Vitamin A deficiencies, especially in vulnerable and marginalised children and women.
