DSM and Sight and Life Launch “Vitamins in Motion” Campaign

Experts in the fields of nutrition and development gather at the international Hidden Hunger Congress this week to address the global crisis of chronic micronutrient deficiencies, also known as hidden hunger.

8 Mar 2013 --- At this multi-stakeholder event, DSM and Sight and Life launched their Vitamins in Motion campaign, an initiative to raise awareness and advocate for increased access to the essential vitamins all people need to be healthy and well-nourished.

“Vitamins have the power to unlock human potential in both the developed and developing world,” said Dr. Manfred Eggersdorfer, Senior Vice President and Head for Nutritional Science Advocacy at DSM Nutritional Products. “DSM and Sight and Life are committed to putting Vitamins in Motion. Whether it’s discovering new scientific breakthroughs in the lab or building partnerships to deliver micronutrients to the world’s most vulnerable populations, we are on the front lines of the global fight against hidden hunger.”
 
Hidden hunger exists globally, in both developing and developed countries. Some two billion people worldwide cannot access or afford enough nutritious food, and therefore live with a chronic shortage of vital micronutrients. Even in the wealthiest countries, shifting patterns of diet and lifestyle are leading to poor nutrition, which is linked to rising rates of obesity and costly non-communicable diseases like diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
 
“Micronutrient interventions like vitamin supplementation and food fortification improve health, save lives and increase productivity. ‘Vitamins in Motion’ aims to highlight this critical role vitamins play in overall nutrition and health, and calls for finding and implementing solutions to address the world’s vitamin deficiencies,” said Dr. Klaus Kraemer, Director of Sight and Life.
 
DSM and Sight and Life have a long history of combating micronutrient deficiencies around the world and have a number of partnerships including with the UN World Food Program that has provided more than 15 million people with improved nutrition since 2007.
 
The Hidden Hunger Congress brings together leaders from government, civil society, business and academia—including Dr. Eileen Kennedy, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and Dr. David Nabarro, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Food Security and Nutrition, and coordinator of the SUN Movement—to share evidence and discuss solutions to the problem of hidden hunger.