Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) held a public lecture with the theme “Vitamin A Deficiency: Public Health Consequences and Prevention” in Hall A of FPH UI. Present as a guest speaker, Prof. Keith West, Jr. Dr.P.H., R.D., a professor from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Prof. Keith West was one of the first researchers to raise the topic of Vitamin A in Indonesia.
Prof. dr. Endang Laksminingsih, M.P.H., Dr.PH., Chief Operating Officer of SEAMEO TROPMED RCCN (South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization – Tropical Medicine and Public Health – Regional Center for Community Nutrition) was also present to give a speech. “Vitamin A does not only reduce risk. blindness, but also the risk of morbidity and mortality in children,” said Prof. Endang.
Studies related to Vitamin A in Indonesia began in 1974 in Jakarta by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). At that time, not a few Indonesian children experienced xerophthalmia, a disease that causes dry eyes due to lack of Vitamin A. Follow-up studies were carried out in Aceh in 1982-1984 by Prof. Keith West, Alfred Sommer, and several other researchers. In a study involving 26,000 children in Aceh, it was found that several children had bitot spots, which are piles of conjunctival cells that die and can cause permanent blindness, said Keith West.
Various efforts to overcome Vitamin A deficiency have been made by the government. Starting from Vitamin A fortification, education regarding good diet, and a program that is still running today, namely Vitamin A supplementation 2x a year. “Indonesia is one of the first countries to implement a program to address Vitamin A deficiency on a national scale,” said Prof. Keith West. According to him, the public must continue to be educated about the importance of Vitamin A so that there are no more cases of Vitamin A deficiency in Indonesia.
Through ongoing research and programs, it is hoped that cases of Vitamin A deficiency in Indonesia will decrease. (WR)
