Zambo hits 97% Vitamin A compliance, says health office

Zamboanga City has recorded a compliance rate of 97 percent in the implementation of the Vitamin A supplementation program of the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

This, based on the program monitoring done by two Belgian officials sent in by UNICEF to Zamboanga Monday.

City Health Officer Rodel Agbulos said the UNICEF donates the Vitamin A capsules to the Philippines for distribution to the different cities and provinces in the country.

The UNICEF has chosen Zamboanga City to be the monitoring site in view of its high compliance rate, according to Agbulos.

The CHO distributes the vitamin A supplements to young children during free clinics in the barangays, special Vitamin A supplementation activities as well as through the health centers in the 98 barangays.

Vitamin A is an essential human nutrient and exists, not as a single compound, but in several forms. Lack of vitamin A causes night blindness, corneal drying (xerosis), triangular gray spots on eye (Bitot's spots), corneal degeneration and blindness (xerophthalmia), impaired immunity, hypokeratosis (white lumps at hair follicles) or softening of the cornea (keratomalacia), according to medical books.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has sent in Dr. Harold Zobel also to monitor the implementation of the "Ligtas Tigdas" or anti-measles program in the city.

Just recently, Agbulos dispatched his medical teams to conduct map up operation in the Rio Hondo-Mariki area targeting children aged 6 years old and below.

"We were able to immunize almost all children in Rio Hondo and Mariki area in response to the 4-5 cases of measles noted thereat two weeks ago", the city health officer said.

source:www.pia.gov.ph