[Limited knowledge of the effect on child mortality of vaccinations and vitamin A supplementation].

Preventive health interventions, including the vaccination and vitamin A supplementation programmes, are implemented in low-income countries with little assessment of the real-life effects on child mortality. Nevertheless, the programmes are frequently credited with large, finite numbers of deaths prevented. Forty years of demographic surveillance in Guinea-Bissau indicates, that vaccines and vitamin A supplementation have effects beyond what can be explained by preventing the target infections and vitamin A deficiency. Taking these effects into account would substantially improve child health.