Question

What are the most important micronutrient deficiencies? Describe the global health burden caused by these deficiencies? What strategies can be implemented to address this problem? How are these strategies delivered? Give at least four specific examples.

Answer 1

Common micronitrients deficiency include:

1. Anemia caused due to iron deficiency

2. Scurvy caused due to vitamin C deficiency

3. Goitre due to iodine deficiency

4. Rickets due to vit D deficiency

5. Pellagra due to niacin deficiency

These deficiency are a major cause of concern worlwide. They have a devastating effect on health of world population. These deficiencies widely affect the children health and leads to illness in paediatric population.

These deficiencies can be prevented through following strategies:

1. Educating people about micronutrient deficiency, their symptoms and treatment.

2. Encouraging people about taking proper diet to fulfill micronutrient requirements of body.

3. Encouraging people for timely medical checkups and blood tests to monitor micronutrient content of body.

4. Promote breastfeeding

Examples of these strategies are:

1. Providing balanced diet with micronutrient food in schools to children

2. Breastfeeding promotion through pamplets, advertisements, skits organized by primary healthcare centres

3. Micronutrient deficiency disease awareness through advertisements, charts

4. Timely medical checkups organized by WHO through medical camps