Vitamin A Deficiency

Orchids to The Times for publicizing the UNICEF announcement that Vitamin A tablets costing 2 cents each could save the lives of at least a million children annually (June 16). In fact, UNICEF’s annual publication, “The State of the World’s Children,” states that the lives of 8 million children each year could be saved by increased use of oral rehydration salts to prevent death from loss of fluids, vaccinations, Vitamin A, iodine and iron. The total cost for these proven lifesavers? The Vitamin A, iodine and iron could be put into a vitamin pill costing about 2 cents each and also including other needed vitamins and minerals. Oral rehydration salts cost a few cents each in quantities sufficient to save a child’s life.

Please. I beg readers to write their congressmen asking them to appropriate a few million dollars to save these 8 million children who, according to UNICEF, needlessly die each year and could be saved for about one dollar per child.

ROBERT SASSONE

Santa Ana