Micronutrient Grant Program

The Micronutrient Grant Program is Vitamin Angels’ flagship initiative, which aims to address micronutrient deficiencies, one of the leading yet preventable health risks to children under five. Vitamin Angels supports bi-annual supplementation of vitamin A and Albendazole for children under five in collaboration with NGO partners, hospitals, and state governments. The program strengthens national efforts by reaching underserved communities, closing coverage gaps, and ensuring safe, equitable, and timely delivery of these life-saving interventions. The Micronutrient Grant Program is implemented by over 50 NGO partners across 15 states in India. Vitamin Angels also collaborates with 10 state and union territory governments, providing direct product support to strengthen their VAS+D programs, bringing our total reach to 22 states and union territories in India.

Mission 9 By 5

Reaching every child with 9 doses of vitamin A by 5 years

The Mission 9 by 5 is a pilot initiative in Nagaland to improve vitamin A supplementation (VAS) coverage for children under five. Since 2016, Vitamin Angels has been supporting the Government of Nagaland in improving coverage by providing vitamin A supplements across the state. This partnership was further deepened in 2023 through a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen supply chain, improve service delivery, generate community awareness, and strengthen data systems. Mission 9 by 5 aims to ensure every child receives nine doses of vitamin A by age five through stronger health systems and deeper community engagement. To drive this effort, the National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland, formed a Technical Support Group in 2023, bringing together key stakeholders to identify gaps and co-develop solutions. As the technical partner, Vitamin Angels works with NHM and grassroots partners to pilot scalable interventions for future integration across the state.

Project AMMA (Anemia Mukt Mothers and Adolescents)

Project AMMA addresses anemia among pregnant women and adolescent girls by tackling its complex behavioural, social, nutritional, and systemic roots. These include supporting government frontline workers towards regular hemoglobin screening, creating materials and tools to ensure tailored counselling is provided by frontline workers, and improving IFA adherence through solutions developed using Human-Centered Design. Using an implementation science approach, Project AMMA is developing evidence-based, scalable solutions under the Anemia Mukt Bharat program in Uttar Pradesh. These solutions are designed to be integrated within existing antenatal care platforms and community structures, ensuring a lasting impact for pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Study on Micronutrient Deficiencies and Antenatal Care Service Delivery in India

The INCLEN Trust International, in collaboration with Vitamin Angels, is undertaking a systematic review to assess the prevalence and determinants of micronutrient deficiencies among pregnant women and adolescent girls in India. The primary objective of this review is to examine the burden of micronutrient deficiencies and to propose recommendations that can be integrated into the government’s antenatal care (ANC) service delivery platforms.

Additionally, the partnership is assessing India’s existing ANC service delivery platform, with a particular focus on addressing maternal anemia. To complement the systematic review, primary data collection is being undertaken across three states: Haryana, Meghalaya, and Uttar Pradesh. The assessment will provide a comprehensive understanding of both systemic and contextual challenges and inform strategies to reinforce ANC service delivery platforms for improved maternal nutrition outcomes in India.

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