In 1990, leaders at the World Summit for Children, co-chaired by Canada, pledged to eliminate micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. In 1992, the Micronutrient Initiative was established by Canada to help deliver on that promise.

More than 30 years later, that Canadian initiative has grown into Nutrition International. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, we work in more than 60 countries across Asia and Africa, leveraging Canadian innovation and expertise to create global impact.

From scientific innovation and evidence generation to government partnership and sustainable financing, what follows are seven stories of Canadian-supported leadership in global nutrition — and the progress it has helped make possible.

Made in Canada, good for the world

Vitamin A supplementation is a cost-effective intervention that protects children from preventable blindness, illness and death due to vitamin A deficiency. Since 1998, Nutrition International, with the support of the Government of Canada, has helped supply and deliver more than 14 billion capsules globally — but did you know that more than 80% of the global vitamin A supply is produced in Canada?

Watch as Randeep Sarai, Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, tours a manufacturing facility in Windsor, Ontario, and sees first-hand how Canadian innovation and long-standing partnerships have averted more than seven million child deaths globally.

Witness how one of the most effective child survival interventions in global health is made: From Windsor to the world: Vitamin A saves lives

Helping governments finance nutrition for the future

Strong nutrition programs require more than good policy. They also require sustainable financing.

In Kenya, Nutrition International is supporting county governments to mobilize domestic resources for nutrition, supporting the development of costed County Nutrition Action Plans that set priority actions and targets against the funding needed to deliver them.

The impact can be seen in such counties as Vihiga, where mother-to-mother support groups help women navigate healthy pregnancies, safe delivery and newborn care. These efforts are connected to broader work to strengthen nutrition financing and ensure local governments can continue investing in nutrition long after external funding ends.

The result is durable, county-owned progress: “We have established a nutrition coordination unit,” said Governor Wilber Ottichilo. “We will not stop because we have put a solid foundation in place on which to operate forever.”

Learn more: Peer support promotes maternal and newborn health in Kenya

Saskatchewan science meets global nutrition

With nearly 2 million tonnes exported in 2023, lentils are one of Canada’s great agricultural success stories. Now they may also become part of a global nutrition solution.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Nutrition International and the University of Saskatchewan will advance research and development of micronutrient-fortified lentils, building on years of collaboration that has already tested the effectiveness of iron-fortified lentils for reducing iron deficiency.

This partnership brings together Canadian agricultural innovation, nutrition science and global health expertise, with the potential to improve diets and nutrition outcomes for millions of people worldwide.

Read about this collaboration and its global potential: Nutrition International and the University of Saskatchewan partner to advance fortified lentils for global health and nutrition 

Supporting countries to lead nutrition progress 

A hallmark of Nutrition International’s approach is working through governments, not outside or around them, to strengthen national nutrition systems and support country-led priorities.

In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Nutrition International has become a trusted nutrition partner, helping support the development of the National Nutrition Strategy and the National Plan of Action for Nutrition, to bring Laos closer to achieving its World Health Assembly and Sustainable Development Goals targets. With the Government of Canada’s support, Laos is just one example of a broader approach that focuses on building lasting national capacity so that nutrition progress is driven and sustained by governments themselves.

Read the full story: Lessons from Laos: What it takes to make nutrition policy work

Double-fortified salt: Canadian chemistry, global impact 

Neural tube defects occur very early in pregnancy, affecting the brain and spinal cord, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Adequate folate intake before and during early pregnancy can prevent this, but while wheat and maize flours are often fortified with folic acid, what if those are not household staples?

In Ethiopia, a groundbreaking research trial explored whether existing iodized salt could also be fortified with folic acid to help reduce the country’s high rates of neural tube defects. The underlying formulation originated from research at the University of Toronto and was advanced through collaboration with the Ethiopian government, local industry and international research partners. As Ethiopia prepares for scale-up, building on the results of the research study, the project illustrates the full pathway from research and innovation to evidence generation, government ownership and population-level impact.

See how this happened: What if fortifying salt could reduce the risk of birth defects?  

Turning evidence into action for adolescent girls 

Adolescence is the second-fastest period of growth after infancy. During this time, good nutrition is critical for healthy growth, learning and future wellbeing, yet iron-deficiency anaemia continues to limit opportunities and potential.

For years, a formulation of weekly iron and folic acid supplementation (WIFAS) that was proven to protect adolescent girls and women did not appear on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines, limiting a country’s ability to import, produce and prioritize it within national supply and procurement plans. Nutrition International, with support from the Government of Canada, helped close that gap, building the evidence base for its inclusion that contributed to the World Health Organization Expert Medicines Committee decision to add WIFAS to the list.

This milestone is helping countries strengthen adolescent nutrition programs and expand access to an intervention that improves the health and wellbeing of girls during a crucial stage of life.

Read more about this journey: Empowering futures: A milestone in adolescent nutrition

Women supporting women to improve maternal health

A healthy pregnancy depends on more than access to care. It also depends on women receiving the nutrients they need throughout the pregnancy.

In Bauchi State, Nigeria, Nutrition International, working with the Government of Nigeria and Bauchi State, supported implementation research on the transition from iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) to multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS). A daily dose of 15 vitamins and minerals, MMS has been shown to be as effective as IFAS in preventing maternal anaemia and more effective at improving birth outcomes.

Recognizing that access alone is not enough, the project used human-centred design to help pregnant women start antenatal care early, remain engaged throughout pregnancy and consistently take supplements as recommended. The work demonstrates how evidence, government leadership and community engagement can come together to improve maternal and newborn health, and help support a roadmap to scale.

See this in action: Inside Nigeria’s effort to connect community support and clinic care in pregnancy

For more than three decades, Canada’s leadership in global nutrition has taken many forms: generating evidence, advancing innovation, supporting governments, strengthening systems and helping countries deliver results at scale. Through Nutrition International and the continued support of the Government of Canada, that leadership continues to translate into better health and lasting impact globally. 

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