Recent resources regarding Vitamin A supplementation:
The Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA) has released a series of monitoringThe continuous oversight of an activity to assist in its supervision and to see that it proceeds according to plan. Monitoring involves guides.
Monitoring of Vitamin A Supplementation: A Guide For District (Area-Based) Programme Managers
This guidance document was developed with the aim of providing information to district level program managers to develop simplified monitoring plans for their vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programs, and to facilitate the improved use of data for program decision making.
Monitoring of Vitamin A Supplementation: A Guide For National Programme Managers
This guidance document was developed with the aim of providing information to national level program managers to develop simplified monitoring plans for their vitamin A supplementation (VAS) programs, and to facilitate the improved use of data for program decision making.
A Guide for Conducting Post‐Event CoverageA proportion (%) that reflects the number of people receiving (an) intervention(s) divided by the total number of people eligible to receive Surveys for Vitamin A Supplementation, Deworming and Immunization Events
The purpose of this guide is to provide a standardized methodology to assess coverage of services during vitamin A supplementation, deworming and immunization events. Post‐event coverage survey (PECS) can be used to verify administrative or tally sheet coverage data following a distribution or campaign, evaluate the quality of service deliveryAn immediate output of inputs placed into a health system, such as health workforce, procurement, supplies and finances. and determine factors that affected coverage, knowledge about services distributed and whether program activities were effective.
The Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA) has released multiple briefs about Vitamin A as it relates to gender, maternal health, and postpartum health.
Gender Equality And Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS): How Gender Mainstreaming Can Improve Child Survival And Promote Gender Equality
VAS programs have traditionally been gender-unaware. Door-to-door campaigns, where VAS was co-delivered along with essential childhood vaccinations, were able to achieve high coverage across both sexes by reducing barriers to accessing VAS. As the need for mass immunization campaigns decreases, many countries are transitioning to delivering VAS through facility-based campaigns and routine health services. This brief was developed by the Global Alliance for Vitamin A (GAVA) to help countries identify and address gender equityEquity in the context of public health campaigns refers to providing high-quality interventions uniformly and in a fair and impartial manner to and equality issues that often go unrecognized in VAS programs.
Six-Month Contact Point: A Timely Way to Deliver Essential Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Services Including Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS)
Six months after birth is an important time for meeting the nutrition, health and reproductive needs of women and children, but few health systems include a six-month contact point. Establishing a six-month contact point may reduce missed opportunity for saving lives, improving infant and child feeding practices, improving immunization coverage and spacing births.
Post-Partum Vitamin A Supplementation (VAS)
Studies show that post-partum vitamin A supplementation (VAS) can result in modest, short-term increases in higher breast milk vitamin A levels, higher infant liver stores and improved maternal and child vitamin A status. All infants are born with low body stores of vitamin A and depend upon vitamin A-rich colostrum and breast milk to meet their physiological need for vitamin A and other nutrients for proper growth and development.