Vitamin Angels launches initiative to tackle coronavirus impact

The pandemic has created challenges that have resulted in historic financial pressures for families, hospitals and health systems who face catastrophic financial demands. Communities that were already nutritionally vulnerable prior to the pandemic now face an even greater risk for malnutrition. 

Vitamin Angels recently announced the launch of their Healthy Futures Initiative, a unified effort to address the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities across the globe. In order to address the increased global demand for health services due to the pandemic, the initiative is aiming to raise $500,000 to expand digital tools, increase advocacy and resources and more. 

Stepping up to meet the challenges

"Our work has never been more important than right now," ​said Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels Founder & President. "Our Healthy Futures Initiative will help us meet the increased demand for our nutrition interventions and ensure that nutritionally vulnerable populations receive access to the essential vitamins and minerals they need right now."​

Many of Vitamin Angels' corporate partners have made financial commitments to the initiative including Lief Labs, a formulation and product development innovator and dietary supplement manufacturer.

“Due to the impact of this global health crisis, Lief Labs’ sponsorship and commitment to support the important efforts of Vitamin Angels is even more critical,”​ said Adel Villalobos, CEO & Founder of Lief.  “We are extremely proud to join Vitamin Angels’ Healthy Futures Initiative to help ensure that vulnerable populations heavily impacted by COVID-19 receive the essential nutrients they need to build the foundation for a healthy future.”​

Other companies have also stepped up to pitch in, including long-time corporate partners DSM, Barlean's, and Purity Products.

Financial breakdown

According to Vitamin Angels, funds raised from the Healthy Futures Initiative will be used to:

• Expand Vitamin Angels' program to introduce and scale-up multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women to help combat the effects of incremental food insecurity in marginalized communities that amplifies the risk of malnutrition and its consequences for vulnerable pregnant women.

• Diversify Vitamin Angels' vitamin A supplementation program to fill gaps in coverage among marginalized and underserved communities caused by disrupted health systems that can leave children at increased risk for illness and infection.

• Expand availability of digital training and learning solutions to enhance the reach of training for more service providers working in overwhelmed health systems.

Vitamin Angels operates in more than 70 countries through a network of more than 1,600 field partners who provide health services and nutritional support during the critical window of a child’s development. These services include distributing prenatal multivitamins and Vitamin A, promotion of breast-feeding practices and de-worming. Domestically, the organization works across every state in the US to support pregnant women’s health with prenatal multivitamins and nutrition education.

The Vitamin Angels' Healthy Futures Initiative​ will continue through 2020.