Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

11.3.3 Micronutrient Supplementation for WomenIt is recommended for mothers in Zambia to be given a dose of vitamin A within 4 weeks ofdelivery. Mothers who deliver at health institutions are to receive a dose of vitamin A before they aredischarged from the institution. This is to boost the vitamin A level for their benefit and, through theirbreast milk for the benefit of the child. According to the 2001-2002 ZDHS, the levels of micronutrientsupplementation among mothers are very worrying. Table 11.10 shows that only about 28 percent ofrecent mothers reported receiving a vitamin A dose postpartum.Vitamin A supplementation among women is higher in urban areas (36 percent) than in ruralareas (23 percent). Copperbelt province has the highest level of postpartum supplementation with vitaminA (37 percent), while Northern province has the lowest (17 percent). This indicates the need forstrengthening routine supplementation by health services, because it is the best opportunity to capturemost of the mothers.Table 11.10 also presents information on iron supplementation of mothers. Iron-deficiencyanaemia is a major threat to maternal health; it contributes to low birth weight, lowered resistance toinfection, poor cognitive development, and decreased work capacity. Furthermore, anaemia increasesmorbidity from infections because it adversely affects the body’s immune response. According to thegovernment policy, all pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics are supposed to be supplemented withiron tablets during their pregnancy. International recommendations are that iron tablets be taken daily forat least three months during pregnancy. It should be noted that although six in ten women reported havingtaken iron tablets during their pregnancy, only 20 percent took them for 90 or more days.According to the baseline study on prevalence and etiology of anaemia conducted in 1998 (Luo etal., 1999), 39 percent of the women, 23 percent of men, and 65 percent of children were found to beanaemic. This situation poses a challenge to the Zambian government if morbidity and mortality due toanaemia and other micronutrient deficiencies is to be reduced.Almost 80 percent of women live in households where adequately iodised salt is used. There areno marked differences in the level of micronutrient supplementation by mother’s age at birth or number ofchildren ever born.Nutrition among Children and Women │ 177