text: people in hyper-endemic goitre areas received iodated oil injections. In the remote hill districts of Nepal, where goitre affects about 80 per cent of the population and cretinism about 10 per cent, 3.5 million people have received injections during a two-year project for the protection of everyone be- tween the ages of one month and 45 years. Vitamin A deficiency inhibits physical growth and causes some sev- en million cases of non-corneal xerosis among pre-school children every year. It is estimated that every hour about 25 children in the developing world arc permanently blinded for want of a balanced diet that includes vitamin A. A nutritional blindness study in Bangladesh in 1982-1983 estimated that each year 900,000 children under six years of age suffered some form of eye disease related to vitamin A defi- ciency and that 30,000 children lost their sight altogether. Fifty per cent of those children who went blind re- ceived little care and attention and, already weakened and malnourished, died A few months later. Women's groups have been the fo- cus of uNiCEF-assisted programmes that provide nutrition education and distribute vitamin A capsules to mothers soon after they deliver their infants. In Ethiopia, which reports a 2]high incidence of vitamin A deficien- cy, managers have been trained in high-risk areas, and high-dose vita- min A capsules have been distributed to target groups. Other countries with UNlCEF-assistcd programmes to com- bat blindness from vitamin A defi- ciency include Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Maldives, Myan- mar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tanzania and Viet Nam. Overall, 39 countries from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America have reported programmes tor the prevention of disabilities due to vitamin A and iodine deficiency disorders. In addition, early detec- tion, rehabilitation and special educa- tion programmes assisted by I'NICEF
analysis: The text appears to focus on public health initiatives and programs aimed at preventing and treating vitamin A and iodine deficiency disorders, particularly in developing countries. The text highlights the impact of these deficiencies on children's health, including blindness and mortality. The programs mentioned involve distribution of vitamin A capsules and iodated oil injections, as well as nutrition education and rehabilitation efforts. This suggests that the primary concern is with human health and well-being, rather than economic or environmental issues.