Vitamin A deficiency in the villages of Petit Samba and Tibin (Province of Passoré, Burkina Faso): Effect of nutritional education

Abstract

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in Burkina Faso. A long-term strategy of prevention based on nutritional education has been experimented in Petit Samba, a village severely touched by VAD.  Tibin, neighbouring village has been taken as a control. After cinq (5) years the compared situation has been evaluated in the two (2) villages and nutritional sensibilization effect has been evaluated in Petit Samba village between 2002 and 2007. Vitamin A status of the two communities has been assessed by the consumption’s index of vitamin A food, the conjonctival impression ocular test (CIT) and the measure of retinol in serum. The main findings showed that VAD has stayed a severe public problem health in those communities. The probable justification has been attributed to supplies deficiency which is a consequence of a weak availability and accessibility of vitamin sources for the population.