MicroNutrient Initiative

FAQ

About the Micronutrient Initiative

What is the Micronutrient Initiative?
The Micronutrient Initiative (MI) is an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the world´s most vulnerable—especially women and children in developing countries—get the vitamins and minerals they need to survive and thrive.

What does the Micronutrient Initiative do?
The Micronutrient Initiative develops implements and monitors innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions for hidden hunger, in partnership with others.

Where does the Micronutrient Initiative work?
The Micronutrient Initiative (MI) has headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, and regional offices in New Delhi, India and Dakar, Senegal. MI has a strong presence in its core program countries, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Bolivia, and Haiti. However, MI supports programs that reach approximately 500 million people in more than 70 countries each year.

Who is the head of the Micronutrient Initiative?
M.G. Venkatesh Mannar is the President of MI. Mr. Mannar´s technical expertise includes a Master´s degree in chemical engineering. His extensive experience began in the salt industry in India and included pioneering an iodized salt testing kit widely used around the world today. He has helped develop iodization programs in over 40 countries, including the highly effective Iodine Deficiency Disorder program in China with UNICEF and the World Bank, and was a driving force in the development of salt fortified with both iron and iodine to help prevent anaemia. As a founding member of the International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders he remains on its Executive Board. He also serves on the Board of the Network for the Sustained Elimination of Iodine Deficiency and in the Executive Management Group of the Flour Fortification Initiative.

With what partner organizations does the Micronutrient Initiative work?
MI works with a variety of food producers, including salt and flour producers, with national and state governments, with UN agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme, and with local NGOs.

How is the Micronutrient Initiative funded?
MI programs are undertaken with funding support from the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The Micronutrient Initiative also works with a variety of UN agencies, civil society organizations, food processing companies and private foundations, many of which invest directly or through MI in micronutrient programming.

Does the Micronutrient Initiative have any positions available?
MI offers a rewarding and challenging work environment. We recruit qualified individuals in the areas of nutrition, international development, marketing, administration, communications, finance, project management, human resources and government relations. Please check our Careers and Tenders section for current job postings with MI.

About Micronutrients

What are micronutrients?
Micronutrients are essential vitamins and minerals that everyone needs – in minute quantities – for good health. These essential vitamins and minerals include vitamin A, iodine, iron, and folic acid.

Why are micronutrients important?
Without micronutrients – or essential vitamins and minerals – the human body does not grow and function properly. The consequences of not getting enough vitamins and minerals can range from birth defects and mental impairment to child deaths due to lowered immune system and susceptibility to diseases.

What is hidden hunger?
Hidden hunger is a chronic lack of essential vitamins and minerals, with potentially devastating effects despite the fact that people often don´t realize they are suffering from hidden hunger. For example, a lack of vitamin A can impair the immune system and make children more vulnerable to diseases such as measles, diarrhea, and malaria. A fetus or infant that suffers from iodine deficiency may become mentally impaired. And lack of iron can cause anemia in women and children and mental impairment in growing children. Women who do not have enough folic acid are more likely to become anemic and to have children with neural tube birth defects.

Why is it important to prevent hidden hunger?
The effects of hidden hunger can impair individuals, sapping their energy, productivity and mental ability. When hidden hunger is widespread, it can trap families, communities and whole nations in cycles of ill health and poverty, preventing people from reaching their full potential.

How can I help end hidden hunger?
One of the best things you can do the help end hidden hunger is to educate yourself about the topic and spread the word. Start by browsing through the Micronutrient Initiative website and use the “email this page to a friend” feature to share what you are learning.

Who is most likely to be affected by hidden hunger?
Because vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy growth and development, women of child-bearing age and infants and young children tend to be most affected by hidden hunger. In many rich nations, solutions such as the fortification of flours and beverages with essential vitamins and minerals have significantly reduced hidden hunger. Unfortunately, many developing countries have not yet been able to implement these solutions. It is especially difficult to implement these solutions in remote and rural villages where many of the world´s poorest people live. That is why the Micronutrient Initiative has a special program focus on reaching the most vulnerable people to ensure everyone has access to the vitamins and minerals they need to survive and thrive despite social, economic, political and geographic barriers that may exist.

Supplies, Procurement and Tenders

How can my company become a supplier for the Micronutrient Initiative?
MI posts all of its Expressions of Interest and Tenders in the Careers and Tenders section of the website.

How can my program procure supplies or equipment from the Micronutrient Initiative?

Vitamin A Supplements: Since 1997, MI, with funding support from the Government of Canada, has provided more than 5 billion doses, both capsules and syrup, of vitamin A. The vitamin A we supply is distributed primarily through UNICEF and national ministries of health as part of existing public health programs. Please contact your local Ministry of health office or UNICEF office to determine how you can coordinate your work with existing health programming.

Zinc: MI works through national health and nutrition services for zinc programming. Please contact your local Ministry of Health to find out if there is a zinc supplementation program in your region or country.

Supplies for salt iodization: MI works with salt processors, both large- and small-scale, to ensure proper and adequate iodization. Please also consult the Iodine Network website for more information about salt iodization, and your local salt producers´ associations for more information on sources of supply of potassium iodate.

Double-fortified salt, fortified foods, iron-fortified rice, etc.: MI works with the local food producers, the food industry and national ministries of health or nutrition to develop food fortification guidelines and provide technical support. We do not manufacture fortified food directly and therefore cannot offer supplies of food.

Grants and Project Support

Does the Micronutrient Initiative offer any funding for research?
MI does not have unsolicited funding available for research. However MI sometimes conducts research as an integral part of its programs.

Can I apply to the Micronutrient Initiative for a donation for my organization?
MI does not fund individual organizations. If you are looking for support for vitamin A supplementation or fortified foods, please see question above.

Do you have grants or scholarships for students?
MI does not offer any grants or scholarships to support courses of study.

I am working on a new technology that could improve people´s micronutrient intake. Can I work with MI to test this?
Please send an outline and specifications for your technology to your closest MI office, along with a photo. We will follow up with you if we think we can work with you on your technology.