India stands out as Vitamin Angels’ largest program worldwide

Boasting of over 400 field partners and a goal to reach 13.5 million children and 500,000 mothers by the end of 2018, our program in India is the largest by a landslide. Such a notable presence is attributed to the high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in the country: of the global population of children under five who suffer from VAD, 37% live in India.

The problem in India

This high percentage of malnutrition manifests itself in the following ways:

62% of children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency

39% of children are stunted

29.4% of children are underweight

The under-five mortality rate is 48/1000 live births

In India, more than 50% of all women in the reproductive age group (15-45 years) have anemia

Compounding the health threats caused by vitamin A deficiency are the effects of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) a neglected tropical disease which the WHO also classified as a high-prevalence issue in India among the general population (including children under five).

According to Government of India statistics:

46.2% children 6-59 months received a dose of vitamin A in last 6 months

27.2% children 12-59 months received deworming medication in last 6 months

30.3% of the pregnant women consumed Iron & Folic Acid (IFA) tablets for at least 100 days

Though the extent of [AH5] under nutrition and STH infection on India’s population is challenging, we believe that our work has—and will continue to—make a positive difference.

The Power of a Group

Given the staggering number of children and mothers in need, it would be impossible to even scratch the surface without our network of 400+ local NGOs in India. The dedication, ingenuity, and strength of their members bridge the gap between us and the women and children we serve and is nothing short of inspirational.

Our field partners’ tireless work encompasses transporting vitamins to hard-to-reach locations, translating our educational materials into local dialects, going door-to-door to invite mothers to distributions, keeping health records, and so much more. We are humbled by and grateful for the work of these organizations who are on the ground, giving vitamins to the children and mothers most in need.

Meet our Consultants in India!

Say hello to our India team below, and follow their work on their Facebook page!

Shilpa

Dr. Shilpa Bhatte, MD

Sony Thomas

Shruti

Shruti Menon

Arvind Caulagi

Do you know of any nonprofits in India that help children and mothers?

Vitamin Angels delivers vitamin A to young children 6-59 months of age, who are without easy access to government sponsored, facility and community-based health services.

Vitamin Angels grants vitamins (micronutrients) to varied nonprofits, including local charities, general hospitals, and a range of community-based organizations. Nonprofits are supported with a wide variety of educational materials, resources, and trainings to ensure the distribution of our vitamins is done in accordance with proven methods consistent with accepted best practices.

If you are a current partner or work for an organization that works in India and would like to know what grants of vitamin A and other micronutrients are available, please share our work with them.

BECOME A FIELD PARTNER

Programs in India operate under the umbrella of Operation Essential Nutrients (OPEN).

Case Study

"Kenna Mola had developed corneal opacities due to vitamin A deficiency. He got proper treatment from the local medical doctors; receiving vitamin A immediately. One week after the delivery of vitamin A, he started to open his eyes. The corneal opacities are still there and his vision is severely blurred, but he can obviously distinguish light and dark and reacts accordingly."