title: The potential of orange-fleshed sweet potato to prevent vitamin A deficiency in Africa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin A deficiency is among major health problems worldwide that leads to blindness, retarded growth and death, particularly in developing countries. In these countries, vitamin A deficiency largely affects pre-school children, pregnant and lactating mothers, and the rural poor. For instance, the predicted prevalence of vitamin A deficiency for 36 sub-Saharan African countries is 19.1%.
  
  
  METHODS
  Different strategies, including vitamin A supplementation, food fortification and dietary diversification, have been used to combat this problem. However, these strategies are not sustainable due to their high costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) is a low priced crop, which is part of staple foods in most of sub-Saharan Africa that can be a year-round source of vitamin A. Most of the orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties contain 3000-16000 μg 100 g(-1) of β-carotene and this contributes to 250 to 1300 μg 100 g(-1) Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE). Therefore, by using orange-fleshed sweet potato, it is possible to improve vitamin A status, increase the bio-availability of different micro-nutrients such as Fe, Zn, Ca and Mg, reduce vitamin A deficiency and hence reduce child mortality rates by 23 to 30%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The article highlights the significance of vitamin A for human nutrition, the effect of vitamin A deficiency, the different prevention methods and the potential of orange- fleshed sweet potato as a food crop to prevent vitamin A deficiency.
authors.affiliation: University of KwaZulu-Natal, African Center for Crop Improvement, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and South Agricultural Research Institute, Hawassa Research Centre, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Fekadu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gurmu
authors.affiliation: University of KwaZulu-Natal, African Center for Crop Improvement, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Shimelis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: University of KwaZulu-Natal, African Center for Crop Improvement, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laing
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D046688:Child Mortality; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D027723:Ipomoea batatas; D007774:Lactation; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000737:chemistry; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000502:physiology; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A
keywords: Ipomoea batatas; intervention strategies; orange-fleshed sweet potato; vitamin A deficiency; β-carotene