The relationship between the nutritional status of children within early childhood development centres in delft and their compliance to the expanded programme of immunization and routine vitamin a supplementation

Abstract

Public health care interventions namely, the Expanded Programme on Immunizations (EPI) integrated with the Vitamin A supplementation programme (VAS) has been used for many years with the main intentions of preventing and decreasing the prevalence of child morbidity and mortality worldwide. Poor vaccination status has an effect on the nutritional status of children younger than five years. Child malnutrition in South Africa has been a challenge over decades with stunting largely unchanged and above 20% whilst wasting remains prevalent and obesity emerges. Malnutrition in children leads to mental, cognitive and long-term developmental delays.