Vitamin Angels
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| Motto | Essential nutrients, healthy children. [1] |
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| Founded | 1994 California, U.S. |
| Founder | Howard Schiffer |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Location |
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| Fields | Child nutrition |
| Website | http://www.vitaminangels.org |
Vitamin Angels is a non-profit, non-governmental organization focused on bringing essential nutrition to children around the world through vitamin supplementation.
Vitamin Angels states that its mission is to mobilize and deploy private sector resources to advance availability, access and use of micronutrients, especially vitamin A, by newborns, infants and children in need.
Vitamin Angels aims to reduce child mortality worldwide by connecting essential micronutrients, especially vitamin A, with infants and children under five. Essential micronutrients enables the immune system to fight infectious diseases and may help to prevent childhood diseases. Vitamin A deficiency in particular can lead to blindness, stunting and a deficient immune system.
According to his biography, founder and President Howard Schiffer worked in the natural products industry for many years. He apparently launched a number of "nationally recognized brands", although these are not listed. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California, Schiffer was asked to donate vitamins to victims. As a result of this experience, Schiffer realized the capabilities of vitamin supplements in providing vital nutrition. He started Vitamin Angels in 1994. It is now an international charity working in 50 countries with 800 field partners.
It is a large misconception that severe malnutrition is caused by not getting enough to eat. Often the issue lies in not getting the right micronutrients. New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nicholas Kristof calls this the "hidden hunger". Approximately 670,000 children under the age of five die due to lack of vitamin A in their diets every year. Children who are micronutient deficient do not have the proper nutrition necessary to develop a proper immune system and bodily function, leaving them more susceptible to disease and overall mortality.
Micronutrient supplementation has received the support and attention of top global health experts and organizations, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Copenhagen Consensus. Studies show that for deficient children, the periodic supply of high-dose vitamin A has resulted in reducing mortality by 23%. The 2008 Copenhagen Consensus, a panel of world class economists, analyzed cost-effective solutions to the world's ten biggest challenges. They ranked micronutrient supplementation for children as the #1 global priority. The report notes that providing micronutrient supplements (vitamin A and zinc) for 80% of the 140 million children who lack essential vitamins would cost $60 million per year. This action would hold yearly benefits of more than $1 billion. Each dollar spent on the program would create benefits worth more than 17 dollars, seen in the form of better health, fewer deaths, increased future earnings, etc.
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