Micronutrient Deficiency Control Programmes.

3. Micronutrient fortification (iron and salt iodization)

Micronutrient deficiency is known as hidden hunger.

1. Micronutrient supplements for children (vitamin A and zinc)

Many millions more suffer from silent hunger malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

Micronutrient provision is rarely celebrated, but it makes a world of difference.

Over 500 million capsules from the Micronutrient Initiative were supplied to 74 countries in 2004.

Overall, we can typically best help through direct interventions, including micronutrient supplements, fortification, biofortification, and nutritional promotion.

In 2008, the Copenhagen Consensus focused the attention of policymakers and philanthropists on investments in micronutrient provision.

These included increased immunization coverage, initiatives to reduce school dropout rates, community based nutrition promotion, and micronutrient supplementation.

How could 10 best be spent? Should we, say, buy carbon offsets, or donate to a charity providing micronutrient supplements?

There are now a number of nutrition programmes in place intended to deal with protein energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among children.

For every person saved from malnutrition through climate policies, the same money could have saved half a million people from micronutrient malnutrition through direct policies.

For example, vitamin A drops which provide infants with an essential micronutrient for vision and healthy growth are now delivered twice yearly in conjunction with polio vaccines.

The United Nations Foundation, Rotary International and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria were the top three contributors to UNICEF in this group, followed by GAVI and the Micronutrient Initiative.

More than 70,000 Lady Health Workers working at village level provided services for micronutrient supplementation and counseling on growth promotion, maternal and child nutrition, breast feeding and complementary feeding on a regular basis.

Such opportunities come sharply into focus when you ask some of the world s best minds to find the biggest bang for the buck. Micronutrient provision is rarely celebrated, but it makes a world of difference.

This would purchase a bundle of interventions, including micronutrient provision, complementary foods, treatment for worms and diarrheal diseases, and behavior change programs, all of which could reduce chronic under nutrition by 36 in developing countries.

UNICEF is working closely with private sector partners, the Flour Fortification Initiative, the Micronutrient Initiative, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and the Asian Development Bank, in efforts including food fortification testing in China and Viet Nam.

They organized on an annual basis competitions on the occasion of Micronutrient Day on 1 2 June to monitor the health of newborn babies and provide sufficient vitamins for children and iron pills for pregnant women, 15 year old girls and post natal women.