Awareness and Uptake of Vitamin A Supplementation Among Caregivers of Children Aged 6 to 59 Months in Yobe State, North East Nigeria

Vitamin A deficiency is a major public health concern in northern Nigeria, contributing to increased susceptibility to infections, night blindness, and childhood mortality. This cross-sectional descriptive study assesses awareness and uptake of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) among caregivers of children aged 6 to 59 months in Yobe State, North East Nigeria. A total of 340 caregivers were recruited from four local government areas through multistage sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to assess knowledge of vitamin A deficiency, awareness of supplementation campaigns, and documented uptake verified through child health cards. Results indicated that 67.4% of caregivers were aware of vitamin A supplementation, but only 52.6% had received the supplement during the most recent campaign round. Major barriers to uptake included caregiver absence during distribution campaigns, conflict-related displacement, misconceptions about supplement safety, and poor reach of outreach services in remote communities. Multivariate analysis identified low maternal education and rural residence as significant independent predictors of non-uptake (p less than 0.01). Children in IDP settlements were significantly less likely to have received VAS compared to resident populations. The study recommends adopting fixed-post and community-based strategies for supplementation delivery, targeted outreach to displaced populations, and integration of VAS with routine immunisation contacts. Keywords: vitamin A supplementation, caregivers, Yobe State, under-five children, North East Nigeria.