A new diagnostic tool measures deficiency at the population level
A new test developed by PATH is helping assess a nutritional deficiency common to the developing world—one that can cause blindness, severe illness, and death if uncorrected. More than 100 million children worldwide get too little vitamin A, most of them in places where few families have access to fresh foods (certain fruits, vegetables, and meat and eggs). PATH’s test will give developing countries a way to identify vulnerable populations—so that they can use limited public health resources as effectively as possible.