Background Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread health problem, affecting up to 1 billion people worldwide.[1] It has gained increasing recognition in the developing world, including Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) where sunshine prevails all year round.[2–4] Previous studies in SSA have found widely varying prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, affecting 9-49% of the normal population in a region well endowed with round the year sunshine.[5–7] Cultural norms, religious practices, skin pigmentation, malnutrition