What if there was a pill to prevent

blindness?

There is.

February 2010
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 About Vitamin A Deficiency

• Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause

of blindness in children in the world today.
– The World Health Organization estimates that as
many as 140 million children, especially in Africa and
Southeast Asia, suffer from VAD.
• Each year, up to 500,000 children, or up to 60
per hour, go blind because of vitamin A
deficiency.
– Tragically, 70% of these children die within a year of
losing their sight.

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Up to 500,000 Children Go Blind Each
Year Because Of Vitamin A Deficiency

© HKI/Wendy Lee 3
 Helen Keller Int’l: A Leader in
Controlling Vitamin A Deficiency

• Helen Keller International has been controlling

VAD for decades.

• We collaborated on the groundbreaking

research that first identified that controlling
vitamin A deficiency can not only save sight, it
also saves lives.

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 Vitamin A: A Simple, Inexpensive
Solution to Prevent Blindness

• Just two doses of high-potency vitamin A

capsules are needed each year to prevent
blindness in at-risk children, at a cost of just
$1.00 per child per year.

• Helen Keller International’s goal is to ensure

that the capsules reach those most in need.
– We work with local partners to distribute vitamin A
capsules twice a year to children under five.

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We Work with Local Partners to
Distribute Vitamin A Capsules

© HKI
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 How Helen Keller International
Prevents Vitamin A Deficiency

• Every minute, 164 children benefit from our

vitamin A supplementation programs.

• Last year, more than 41 million children in

Africa and 46 million children in Asia received
vitamin A capsules through HKI programs.

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More than 87 million children benefitted
from our programs last year

© HKI/Carol Stein
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 How Helen Keller International
Prevents Vitamin A Deficiency

• HKI is a leader in designing, implementing and

monitoring programs that ensure annual
delivery of vitamin A to vulnerable populations.

• Vitamin A supplementation is the most cost-

effective intervention to save the sight and
lives of children. It costs only $1.00 per child
per year.

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HKI is a leader in delivering vitamin A
to those who need it most

© HKI
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Help Helen Keller International
Save Sight & Lives: Donate Today!

© HKI/Carol Stein
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