Sadly, there has also been slow progress in the goal of eliminating the prevalence of malnutrition among mothers and children due to deficiencies in iodine, protein-energy, vitamin A, and iron among other things. This has resulted in more pronounced incidences of anemia, goiter, and night blindness. Vitamin A is one of the most essential nutrients in child and maternal survival programs. The 1999 MICS results indicate poor vitamin A supplementation coverage for mothers who gave birth in the year prior to the survey. Only 33 percent received a dose of vitamin A in the six months prior to the survey.
Anemia associated with pregnancy is treated by giving iron tablets to women during prenatal care.
Iodine is provided to pregnant women to prevent mental retardation in children due to iodine deficiency. The 1998 NDHS inquired about iron and iodine supplementation covering five years before the actual survey. Total coverage for both iron and iodine supplementation exceeded 50 percent for all women with live births. But differences across regions have been noted. In both cases, women in rural communities with poor delivery of basic health care services suffer the worst.