345,000 zinc tablets donated to fight diarrhea in Kenya

Vitamin Angels has distributed over 345,000 zinc tablets, used in diarrhea treatment for children, to two Millennium Villages in Kenya. The tablets were donated by the American health company Novus, parent company of Stratum Nutrition.

“We know what a huge difference this zinc will play in saving children's lives,” said Howard Schiffer, president of Vitamin Angels. “We are thankful to our partners, Novus and Millennium Villages, for their commitment to reaching the children most in need.”

The zinc received will be used to supplement the oral rehydration salt (ORS) and reduce the burden of diarrheal episodes in infants and children under five. According to the WHO and UNICEF, widespread use of ORS in conjunction with zinc can prevent up to 88 percent of the 1.5 million children who die worldwide from diarrhea.

The tablets will be used in the management of acute diarrhea among children under five years of age. Normally, supplies are provided by the Kenya Ministry of Health, but a rupture in stock in 2010 has seen health teams resorting to using only ORS to treat diarrhea. The US donation will cover the local needs in 2011

“This donation is timely in view of the fact that diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality,” said Margaret Wagah, the regional nutrition coordinator for the Millennium Villages in East and Southern Africa. “The zinc supplementation will serve as a useful nutrition intervention for promoting child survival in the villages.”

“We are very proud of our partnership with Vitamin Angels and how our collective efforts can have such a tremendous impact on the lives of children in need,” said Thad Simons, President and CEO, Novus International, Inc. “Partnering with Vitamin Angels is an easy choice for us, their work directly aligns with our vision to 'help feed the world affordable, wholesome food and achieve a higher quality of life.”