Nigeria health campaign sensitizes public about Vitamin A

ABUJA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Health Ministry on Monday said it will step up its nationwide sensitization on the need for citizens to increase Vitamin A in the body.

In a statement, the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja said the sensitization was part of a national campaign against measles and other diseases caused by lack of Vitamin A in the human body.

The statement quoted Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, saying "the lack of Vitamin A is a huge cause of death for children under five and the second cause of blindness for adults".

It is in this light that the Nigerian government has embarked on Vitamin A food bio-fortification campaign to reduce death rate and boost nutrition in the country, the statement added.

The lack of vitamin A in the body also increases the risk of diseases and causes more reproductive problems in adults, Bisi Kolawole, a medical expert, said.

Kolawole said one of the best sources of Vitamin A was breast milk, urging mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months and ensure that they continue to breastfeed them until two years.