Vitamin Angels backs DRC vitamin A program to address child malnutrition

The global health non-profit organization Vitamin Angels has joined the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) government, global health organizations, and leading stakeholders to present evidence of the country’s vitamin A supplementation program and spread information on routine child nutrition services. 

It found that although vitamin A supplementation reached over 13 million children in the country last year, financing is still heavily dependent on external contributors.

The government-led workshop is hosted by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention through the National Nutrition Program (PRONANUT), Vitamin Angels, UNICEF, Helen Keller Intl, and national and provincial health offices. 

“Strong health systems are built on strong evidence,” says Dr. Mulamba Diese, DRC country director at Vitamin Angels. 

“This analysis gives government and partners a shared understanding of what’s working, where gaps remain, and how we can strengthen routine nutrition services so more children consistently receive lifesaving interventions. We’re proud to support the government of the DRC in this important step toward a more sustainable child nutrition system.”

Strengthening child nutrition

Malnutrition continues to be an urgent issue in the DRC, and is estimated to cause 45% of deaths among children under five. This underscores the urgent need for nutrition interventions. 

Vitamin Angels says that supplementing with vitamin A for children is one of the most effective strategies to shield them from severe illness caused by infections such as diarrhea and measles.

In a move to strengthen child nutrition nationwide, the workshop will review findings from a landscape analysis and align its priorities to improve this area.

Vitamin Angels suggests increasing domestic investments for long-term program sustainability.In 2025, the non-profit organization reached more than 13 million children in the DRC with vitamin A supplementation, demonstrating that national campaigns have gained strong coverage. 

The assessment included program performance between 2018 and 2025, using both quantitative analysis and interviews from 77 stakeholders spread across 11 provinces. It found that the delivery model still relies heavily on external financing and temporary campaigns. 

The organization stresses that this highlights the need to strengthen the country’s primary health care system and routine services. 

Suggestions for improvement

Vitamin Angels suggests integrating vitamin A supplementation and deworming into routine visits at preschool consultations, child health services, and routine immunization visits. 

Additionally, it proposes strengthening supply chain coordination to ensure stock does not run out at health care facilities, to improve data quality and decision making through consistently using DHIS2 (District Health Information Software 2) — a national health management information system currently used in more than 80 countries.

On a local level, Vitamin Angels advises increasing demand for nutrition services by expanding community engagement and increasing domestic investments for long-term program sustainability.

“This assessment provides the evidence we need to strengthen vitamin A supplementation and deworming services nationwide,” comments Dr. Bruno Bindamba, director of PRONANUT, Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Prevention. 

“The evidence and recommendations generated through this collaboration will help inform future policy, improve routine delivery of vitamin A supplementation and deworming, and support our goal of ensuring every child has access to lifesaving interventions.”

Vitamin Angels concludes that working with country leaders and local partners will enable integration of crucial nutrition interventions into routine health care. These steps can build sustainable systems, reaching more children with lifesaving nutrition in the future, it argues.