ABSTRACT
Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for human health. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) can limit growth, weaken immunity, cause xeropthalmia leading to blindness, and increase mortality (Sommer and West, 1996). VAD is widespread among young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), and in Mozambique the problem is severe with an estimated prevalence of 71 per cent in children 6–59 months of age (Nutrition Division in Department of Community Health, 2003). Food-based approaches to combating VAD aim to increase access to and intake of vitamin A-rich foods. They complement supplementation and food fortification approaches, particularly for reaching rural households with limited incomes for purchasing fortified products, but solid evidence for their effectiveness is limited (Ruel and Levin, 2000).
