text: An important unanswered question is whether such populations, lacking evidence of clinical manifestations of vitamin A deficiency but with biochemical evidence of major depletion, would also be responsive to improvement of vitamin A status.
  This analysis of experience was not designed to compare programme approaches; nevertheless, some interesting observations relevant to the topic can be offered. First, it was demonstrated without doubt that daily (through fortification of monosodium glutamate, MSG) and weekly intakes of physiological levels of vitamin A (Tamil Nadu) were just as effective as periodic high-potency dosing. It follows in our judgement that any approach to improving vitamin A status that effectively controls xerophthalmia will have a beneficial impact on mortality comparable to that reported. In an Indonesian study one-time dosing of women shortly after giving birth was effective in raising breast-milk vitamin A levels and improving the vitamin A status of the infant for at least six months [5]. This might be a strategy worthy of exploration if the target group is young infants.