Vitamin A Supplementation in a New Age (VINA)

Results achieved as of December2024 include: (1) 7 out of 15 countries in the Vitamin A Supplementation in a New Age (VINA) program achieved more than 80% coverage for the 2-dose regimen; (2) Central African Republic Sierra Leone and South Sudan came close to achieving more than 80% coverage for the 2-dose regimen target with 76% 77% and 79% coverage respectively; (3) Angola Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Malawi Madagascar and Mozambique initiated gender analyses; (4) enhanced women’s ability to make informed decisions regarding VAS and their children by mobilizing women’s support groups. These groups increased access to resources and improve VAS outcomes in Angola Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Chad Côte d’Ivoire Guinea South Sudan and Togo reaching approximately 740 170 women; (5) conducted health literacy campaigns which reached 16 202 women and 14 067 men in Chad and 1 873 643 women and 1 221 051 men in Guinea; (6) trained 3 000 mother-to-mother support groups in South Sudan to raise awareness and provide information on the importance of VAS for children aged 6 to 59 months; (7) created improved linkages to sectoral programmes including water sanitation and hygiene social protection and parenting in Burkina Faso Central African Republic Guinea Madagascar and Togo; (8) adopted gender-transformative approaches to increase fathers’ engagement and promote shared caregiving responsibilities. This resulted in mobilizing fathers and community leaders as change agents for VAS and gender equality; (9) reached more than 3 124 963 people (1 235 118 men and 1 889 845 women) through a mobilization awareness event on VAS at health centres and in the community across the Central African Republic Chad and Guinea; (10) formed 1 456 men’s groups around health nutrition and gender equality (4 in Angola 1 440 in Burkina Faso and 12 in Côte d’Ivoire); and (11) trained and mobilized 5 326 female community volunteers as advocates for VAS and g