Evaluation of vitamin A deficiency in the Yelimane Circle of Mali, west Africa.

Of 207 children (aged 4-7 years) in western Mali examined clinically and by conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), 2% had night blindness, no child had Bitot spots and 78% were found to have abnormal CIC suggesting deficiency in vitamin A. In a cohort of 53 children examined by CIC pre- and post-harvest (June and December), abnormal CIC were seen in 77.4% and 54.7%, respectively (P = 0.04). Subclinical vitamin A deficiency is a problem in this area. A seasonal variation is demonstrated. CIC is a useful method for identifying communities with subclinical vitamin A deficiency. A variety of strategies for dealing with vitamin A deficiency are discussed.