Vitamin Angels annual report spotlights infant nutrition success stories

13 Aug 2024 --- US-based NGO Vitamin Angels, which provides nutritional supplementation to pregnant women, infants and young children in underserved communities, reveals a notable growth in its annual performance report.

“2023 was an incredible year,” says Howard Schiffer, president, founder and CEO. “By focusing on nutrition solutions that are both scalable and sustainable, we were able to take our work to a new level, reaching more women, infants and children in the US and 65 countries around the world.”

“A key to our success has been strengthening our collaborative and evidence-based approach. Last year, Vitamin Angels made remarkable progress in enhancing critical partnerships with governments, NGO, and academic institutions to influence and improve health systems at scale.”

In 2023, Vitamin Angels reached over 72 million pregnant women, infants and children in 65 countries, collaborating with 1,200 partners. 

The evidence-based nutrition interventions provided include more than 25 million units of vitamin A supplementation coupled with deworming medicine, close to 17 million units of vitamin A alone and close to 24 million units of deworming medicine alone. 

More than six million units of UNIMMAP MMS (United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation Multiple Micronutrient Supplements) were also distributed, of which 616,716 to women and their infants in the US and Canada.

Critical life stage

The organization highlights the importance of optimal nutrition in the first five years of life, which is vital to improving health and economic equity. Appropriate maternal nutrition is essential to the infant’s health, growth and development, academic achievement, and productivity and economic performance later in life. 

Amy Stanfield, chief operations officer, gives us details about Vitamin Angels’ work and goals.“Much of our work (last year) focused on the introduction and expansion of national MMS programs and policies by raising awareness, building consensus, implementation research, and assistance with developing, strengthening and monitoring effective strategies for service delivery,” Schiffer details.

“Additionally, as the global demand for MMS increases, Vitamin Angels saw the need for filling in the gaps in product supplies and helping to address manufacturing challenges, thereby advancing an effective MMS supply strategy at the national, regional and global levels.” 

The intake of MMS during pregnancy has been shown to reduce micronutrient deficiencies and to have a significant and positive impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Nutrition interventions

Vitamin A supplementation and deworming medicine help build a stronger immune system, reduce illness and support growth. Two doses of vitamin A during childhood can also prevent blindness and improve child development overall. 

The report states: “Vitamin Angels has begun to conduct research and develop and test behavior change communication strategies for IYCF (infant and young child feeding) programs including breastfeeding and complementary feeding, as well as supplementary feeding programs to address food insecurity.”

The organization estimates that the nutritional support it provided in 2023 saved 42,000 children’s lives, averted 38 million cases of diarrhea, prevented 4,000 stillbirths and 360 thousand cases of anemia in pregnant women (including 167 thousand iron-deficiency anemia). Additionally the supplementation averted 387 thousand cases of stunting, increased the years of schooling for 37,000 infants and raised the potential lifetime earnings for these infants by US$285 million. 

Vitamin Angels’ work improved the birth outcomes of 38,000 infants born that year, lowering the incidence of preterm and of children too small for their gestational age and with low birth weight. 

Collaborating to boost nutrition

In 2023, Vitamin Angels was active in all 50 US states and Puerto Rico, partnering with over 350 organizations, including WIC clinics, FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Centers) and health departments throughout the US and Puerto Rico.

Maternal nutrition is essential to infant health, growth, academic achievement and economic performance later in life.Schiffer comments: “Last year, Vitamin Angels made remarkable progress in enhancing critical partnerships with governments, NGOs and academic institutions to influence and improve health systems at scale.”

In the report, Vitamin Angels outlines the most significant financial contributions to the NGO, including Walgreens and the Walgreens Boots Alliance which donated more than US$10 million, ProCaps Laboratories who gave more than US$5 million, Bayer more than US$4 million, among others.

“As we reflect on an impactful 2023 and look forward to the years ahead, it is clear that Vitamin Angels is now embarking on another period of dynamic growth, resulting in exciting new opportunities. Last year we impacted 72 million underserved women, infants and children worldwide. We have a new goal to double our impact to reach 140 million women and children annually by 2033,” the president continues.

To realize this goal, Vitamin Angels is currently actively seeking partnerships with grant-making organizations and individual philanthropists in order to support targeted program efforts to fill gaps in participant coverage.

“By collaborating with local stakeholders, national governments, academic institutions and other trusted public health organizations, we are making great strides in building a supportive environment for improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition globally,” concludes Schiffer.

By Milana Nikolova