Vitamin A supplements for kids' vision & immune systems

Vitamin A is critical to children’s growing bodies and brains. It strengthens vision, prevents blindness, and builds children’s immune systems so that they are strong enough to fight “normal” childhood illnesses like diarrhea, measles, malaria, and pneumonia. These routine illnesses can quickly end a child’s life if they don’t have enough vitamin A. Over 200,000 child deaths are attributed to vitamin A deficiencies every year.

In countries like the United States, vitamin A is a natural part of diets – in carrots, sweet potatoes, red meat, milk, egg yolks, and leafy greens. But for many families living in poverty around the world, these foods are not part of their regular diets. Sometimes they’re not available, and more often, they’re too expensive for families living without a safety net.

A single capsule of vitamin A given to children twice a year for the first five years of their lives can literally save their sight and lives. And it only costs a little more than $1 a dose.

Helen Keller Intl is at work in places where children’s health is most at risk and where families struggle to afford the nutrients their children need. Partnering with governments across Africa and Asia, we provide millions of children every year with lifesaving vitamin A and other nutrients. In places like Kenya, where typically only 20% of children consume diets containing enough vitamin A, we support whole communities through multiday events, reaching four times as many children. In countries like Senegal, we partner with the Ministry of Health, clinics, and community leaders to make vitamin A part of a child’s regular healthcare clinic visits. And in places like Nepal, we train community health workers who go door-to-door in remote villages to reach all the communities’ children. In 2025, we distributed more than 94.4 million capsules of vitamin A.