Mali -- communication for vitamin A : field study in Macina, November 28-December 5, 1989

This report, the pilot for a later, more in- depth study, examines the factors affecting Vitamin A nutrition in six villages in the Cercle of Macina in Mali"s Segou Region, along with general infant/child feeding practices and local beliefs about the causes of malnutrition. Preliminary findings are based mainly on interviews with 18 women, aged 25-45. While not generally considered such, Vitamin A deficiency seems to be a public health problem in the villages, since everyone is familiar with the symptom of night blindness. Most people think that it is caused by excessive exposure to bright sunlight, and the most common cure is to eat goat liver (an excellent source of Vitamin A). Within the family, young children were said to be given first access to meat and fish, but empirical observation failed to confirm this. There were very few Vitamin-A rich foods available during the period in which the study was conducted. It is recommended that Vitamin A promotion activities in the area focus on: new market sources, promotion of shade-drying rather than sun- drying of vegetables, and general improvement of infant feeding practices.