Sugar as a potential vehicle for vitamin A fortification: Experience from Kamuli district in Uganda.

Medi Kawuma
Department of Opthhalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7072 Kampala, Uganda.

ABSTRACT
Background:Despite measures put in place by the Uganda Government ten years ago to combat Vitamin A deficiency, the number of children suffering from this deficiency remains high.

Objective: To determine whether sugar may be used as a vehicle for vitamin A fortification.

Design: Cross – sectional descriptive study

Setting: Kamuli district in Uganda

Patients:One thousand one hundred and four children, and one thousand one hundred and two mothers or care-takers participated innthe study. Sugar consumption patterns for the two age groups were determined. The methods of sugar storage in households were also determined.The children were aged 12 to 36 months, and mothers /caretakers 16 to 45 years.

Results: The overall proportion of households where sugar was consumed in the last seven days was 89.2% for children, and 88.3% for  mothers/ caretakers. Sugar was stored in covered tins in 67% of the households, and in covered baskets in 28% of households.

Conclusion: Sugar is a potential vehicle for fortification with vitamin A for Kamuli district. Storage of sugar in covered tins and baskets means that the stability of the vitamin A in the fortified sugar might not be affected by exposure to light.

African Health Sciences 2002; 2(1): 11-15