Polio as a platform: using national immunization days to deliver vitamin Asupplements

In 1988 the 41st World Health Assembly committed WHO to the goal of global eradication of poliomyelitis by 2000 "in ways which strengthen national imm unization programmes and health infrastructure". The successful use of poli o National Immunization Days (NIDs) to deliver vitamin A is an example of h ow polio eradication can serve as a platform to address other problems of c hild health. Importantly, this integration is helping to achieve the World Summit for Children goal of eliminating Vitamin A deficiency by the year 20 00. It is estimated that between 140 million and 250 million preschool chil dren are at risk of subclinical vitamin A deficiency. In 1998 more than 60 million children at risk received Vitamin A supplements during polio nation al immunization days (NIDs). While food fortification and dietary approache s are fu nda mental to combating vitamin A deficiency, the administration o f vitamin A supplements during NIDs helps raise awareness, enhance technica l capacity, improve assessment and establish a reporting system. Moreover, polio NIDs provide an entry point for the sustainable provision of vitamin A supplements with routine immunization services and demonstrate how immuni zation campaigns can be used for the delivery of other preventive health se rvices.