The Vitamin Angels Program Division is in India! We are meeting with stakeholders to explore the potential for a sustainable public-private partnership to increase vitamin A supplementation in priority states.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the world’s vitamin A deficient children are located in India. Although it is a policy of the Government of India to provide universal vitamin A supplementation to children under 5, large segments of the population do not receive this essential micronutrient – including some of the villages we recently visited in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Shilpa Bhatte (left), representative of VA in India, visiting the Community Rural Development Program (CRDP) implemented by Jaypee Cement Company in villages throughout Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.

CRDP Balwari (preschool) providing education and early childhood development for children ages 3-5 in remote villages of India. Some children were observed to have red hair, poor skin, and other morbidities associated with micronutrient deficiencies.The preschool children were so attentive and engaged in learning! Vitamin Angels hopes to bolster their health and decrease the severity of infectious diseases by providing high dose vitamin A capsules to the village CRDP staff to give to the children twice per year.