TY - JOUR T1 - Micronutrient Powders for Infants and Young Children JF - Global Health: Science and Practice JO - GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT DO - 10.9745/GHSP-D-21-00263 AU - Stephen Hodgins AU - Rolf Klemm Y1 - 2021/05/27 UR - http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/early/2021/05/17/GHSP-D-21-00263.abstract N2 - See related article by Dusingizimana et al.Micronutrient deficiencies, notably of vitamin A, iron, and zinc, have occupied a prominent place on the child health and nutrition agenda over the past 3 decades, and for good reason: there has been robust evidence on the population burden of these deficiencies, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries, as well as on their contribution to morbidity, mortality, and compromised developmental outcomes. The situation has been improving, but there is still evidence of widespread deficiencies of these and other micronutrients, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.1 Furthermore, intervention trials have demonstrated unequivocal reductions in risk of under-5 mortality for vitamin A supplementation2 and reductions in respiratory infection and diarrhea incidence and all-cause mortality for zinc supplementation.3So, we have a significant problem, and we also have specific technical interventions for which there is evidence for efficacy. That’s a good thing…but it doesn’t necessarily mean we have readily available real-world delivery strategies that can fix these problems quickly at scale.The child health and nutrition community has consistently upheld dietary diversity as the ideal. With rising living standards, there have been concomitant improvements not only in protein-energy adequacy but also in micronutrient intake. Nevertheless, the Food and Agriculture Organization has documented that the cost of a nutrient-adequate diet exceeds the international poverty line,4 with the result that about 3 billion people still cannot afford the minimum cost of a healthy diet. So, appropriately, the child health and nutrition community has sought to accelerate improvements, beyond what improved living standards alone can contribute. This has been achieved, in part, through the development of strategies aiming to deliver key micronutrients in ways that effectively reach whole populations and especially segments of the population most at risk for severe deficiencies and their consequences. … ER -