From our President and CEO

Welcome to Nutrition International’s 2024 annual report.

The past year has tested the resolve of people working in development in ways few could have anticipated. Economic volatility, rising debt, conflict, and climate shocks are converging at a moment when the multilateral system is breaking down and international ‘aid’ is in retreat.

For millions of women and children, these pressures are not abstract — they mean higher food prices, fewer services and greater risk at precisely the time when support is most needed.

The operating environment we are in right now is extremely difficult, but it is also clarifying.

With just five years remaining to achieve the World Health Assembly Global Nutrition Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals, the choice before us is stark: accept a narrowing of ambition, or step forward with the resolve and creativity required to protect progress and accelerate impact. At Nutrition International, we are choosing to step forward.

Our impact in 2024

Driving progress towards global nutrition goals.

In 2024, our global team continued to support national, state and municipal governments in designing, implementing and monitoring quality nutrition programs despite ongoing global challenges. We partnered with governments and other stakeholders to generate actionable evidence, and we provided decision-makers with the insights they need to strengthen policies, scale effective interventions and drive lasting change for the communities we serve. Here are just some of our key achievements in 2024–25: 

Man speaking at a podium with flags behind him

133K

child deaths averted

9.5M

cases of anaemia averted

241K

cases of mental impairments averted

9.6B

in future economic benefits gained

1.3M

children gained a year of education

11.4M

IQ points gained in children

599K

cases of stunting averted

642K

newborns received timely initiation of breastfeeding

155M

children under five received two doses of vitamin A

516M

people gained access to adequately iodized salt

243M

people gained access to fortified foods

1.8M

children with diarrhoea received the recommended course of zinc and oral rehydration salts

974K

adolescents received nutrition education

4.6M

adolescent girls consumed weekly iron and folic acid supplements

2.5M

pregnant women received iron and folic acid supplements

876K

newborns reached with a birth package intervention

These numbers were calculated using Nutrition International’s Outcome Modelling for Nutrition Impact (OMNI) tool. OMNI incorporates program coverage of nutrition-specific interventions and calculates the estimated consequent health outcomes.

Our highlights in 2024

Strengthening systems to deliver impactful nutrition.

Last year, we reached more than 700 million people with our health and nutrition programs. Here are just a few highlights from the past year:

Country Highlights

Scaling solutions for sustainable change.

In countries across Africa and Asia, we partner with governments and local stakeholders to strengthen nutrition programs from the national level down to communities. By supporting policy implementation, building the knowledge base and delivering high-quality interventions, we help ensure that nutrition reaches those who need it most. Explore some key highlights of our work from the last year.

In Bangladesh, food insecurity, climate change and inflation present a significant challenge. Collaborating closely with the government and other partners, we continued to deliver micronutrient supplementation, fortify staple foods and condiments, and improve health and nutrition services, with a particular focus on women, children and girls.

  • 441,091 adolescents aged 10-19, including 246,181 girls and 197,911 boys, received gender-responsive nutrition education across 1,986 schools.
  • 270,392 pregnant women attended at least one antenatal care visit at public health facilities across 18 Nutrition International-supported districts.
  • Following yea of Nutrition International’s advocacy, the line directors of the National Nutrition Service and Management Information System have committed to including zinc indicators into DHIS2, the country’s district health information software, in the upcoming year.

Ethiopia is grappling with several compounding crises. Severe droughts, ongoing conflict, displacement and deepening economic instability have left millions facing acute food and nutrition insecurity. In response, we are working alongside the government and other partners to strengthen primary care and essential nutrition services, particularly for adolescent girls, women and children.

  • 996,861 newborns were protected from iodine deficiency disorders by ensuring the adequate iodine status of their mothers through universal salt iodization.
  • The World Health Organization’s new formulation for weekly iron and folic acid supplementation was added to Ethiopia’s Essential Medicine List in October 2024. Specifically designed for adolescents and menstruating women, the new formula contains 60mg of iron and 2.8mg of folic acid.
  • Nutrition International supported the Ministry of Health to convene Ethiopia’s first national review workshop on vitamin A supplementation (VAS). The workshop brought together key national stakeholders, along with representatives from regional and woreda health offices, primary healthcare units and health posts to assess program bottlenecks, address challenges and develop region-specific action plans to strengthen delivery and impact.

In India, we strengthened partnerships with national and state governments to scale evidence-based nutrition solutions. Prioritizing women, adolescent girls and children, we worked to reinforce health systems, expand access to fortified foods and micronutrient supplementation, and improve program delivery, helping accelerate progress toward the country’s national nutrition goals.

  • 7.2M adolescents, parents, teachers and community members were reached with messages on anaemia prevention and the importance of weekly iron and folic acid supplementation through Nutrition International-developed print materials displayed in schools and community platforms. To further extend awareness, a video on menstrual health management was circulated via WhatsApp in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
  • Nutrition International signed memoranda of understanding with the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in Himachal Pradesh and the Department of Food Civil Supplies in West Bengal to provide technical assistance for introducing double-fortified salt and fortified rice, respectively, into social safety net programs.
  • 24,960 low birthweight and/or preterm newborns received timely kangaroo mother care at 247 Nutrition International-monitored facilities in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

In Indonesia, we partnered with national and local governments to translate nutrition policies into action, strengthening programs in food fortification, maternal nutrition and adolescent health to help reduce anaemia and stunting, and improve health outcomes nationwide.

  • As the co-lead of the Salt Fortification Task Force Secretariat under the National Food Fortification Forum, Nutrition International facilitated discussions on policy alignment and advancing efforts to strengthen regulatory compliance.
  • 17,770 were engaged through webinars and online sessions, including YouTube and other social media platforms, with behaviour change messages on balanced diets, anaemia prevention and the importance of weekly iron and folic acid supplementation for adolescent girls.
  • Nutrition International conducted a post-event coverage survey in West Java and West Nusa Tenggara following the February 2024 vitamin A supplementation (VAS) round to validate administrative data, assess implementation quality and identify bottlenecks to coverage. In addition, a data quality audit was also conducted to examine the effectiveness of the program’s monitoring and reporting systems at all levels.

We work with national and county governments to accelerate progress on the country’s nutrition commitments. By supporting policy development, strengthening research and mobilizing resources, we’ve helped advance proven, cost-effective nutrition interventions that expand access to essential nutrition, particularly for women, girls and children.

  • 254,211 adolescents aged 10–19, including 144,606 girls and 109,605 boys, received gender-responsive nutrition education.
  • Nutrition International collaborated with the Ministry of Health to design new software that tracks vitamin A capsules across the supply chain, helping to prevent stock challenges. The system will be piloted in Murang’a county before broader roll-out.
  • 177,457 newborns received chlorhexidine applications for umbilical cord care, representing 65.7% of the total estimated births in 11 Nutrition International-supported counties.

 

In Nigeria, ongoing conflict continued to jeopardize food and nutrition security and limit access to essential health services. We worked with governments and other partners to safeguard and expand nutrition programming to improve the health, development and productivity of the population.

  • 663,895 people, including 156,575 men and 77,041 women, were reached with gender-sensitive behaviour change messages designed to increase demand for maternal and newborn health services. These messages were delivered through home visits, community meetings and outreach activities led by community health volunteers, male motivators and religious community leaders.
  • Nutrition International partnered with the governments of Cross River and Katsina to deliver VAS to children under five living in hard-to-reach and high-insecurity areas. In Katsina, 1,705,499 children — 30% of all those reached in the state — received two doses of VAS, while in Cross River, 75,785 children — 10% of the state’s total — were reached with two doses.
  • 100,000 courses of zinc and low-osmolarity oral rehydration salts (LO-ORS) and 40,000 co-packs of zinc and LO-ORS were procured in Kano State — the highest volume since Nutrition International began supporting the state’s drug revolving fund scheme — helping to reduce stock-outs of these crucial commodities.

In Pakistan, rising food insecurity and record-breaking heatwaves in 2024 compounded ongoing economic strain and limited access to nutritious diets. In response, we partnered with the government and global partners to expand access to essential micronutrients, helping to improve the health and resilience of the population.

  • 275,000 treatment courses of zinc and low-osmolarity oral rehydration salts were procured to address chronic stock-outs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
  • Nutrition International secured a €900,000 grant that expanded the adolescent health and nutrition program to seven additional districts in Pakistan.
  • 20,612 pregnant women received iron and folic acid supplements across Nutrition International-supported areas, including 4,027 who received at least one 100-count bottle of multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) tablets in Swabi district.

Across Senegal and the Sahel, climate shocks, food insecurity and rising costs continue to threaten the nutritional wellbeing of millions. We work with governments and partners to scale proven, cost-effective interventions to ensure people have access to the nutrition they need.

  • 842,582 children under five were reached with two doses of vitamin A supplementation in seven Nutrition International-supported regions.
  • 632,847 newborns in the Sahel region were protected from iodine deficiency disorders by ensuring the adequate iodine status of their mothers.
  • 172,764 adolescent girls aged 10 to 19 years received the recommended scheme of weekly iron and folic acid supplementation.

In Tanzania, we supported the government to strengthen policies and scale-up high-impact interventions, guided by the National Multisectoral Action Plan, thus improving access to essential nutrition for women, adolescent girls and children.

  • Over 22.7M people were reached with adequately iodized salt due to Nutrition International’s support, including 5.5 million women aged 15–49.
  • 310,932 pregnant women attended at least one antenatal care (ANC) visit in Nutrition International-supported areas, while 48% of all women attending ANC received iron and folic acid supplementation.
  • Nutrition International facilitated reflection meetings in seven low-performing councils in Mainland Tanzania and 11 councils in Zanzibar, where 243 health workers assessed the performance of vitamin A supplementation (VAS) delivered through Child Health and Nutrition Months, established priority corrective actions and developed micro plans for improved implementation during future campaigns.

Financial Highlights

Program interventions 2025

March 31, 2025 (in U.S. dollars)

Vitamin A
$18,937,404
$7,015,788
Adolescents’ and Women’s Nutrition
Universal Salt Iodization
$2,712,544
Zinc and ORS
$2,395,396
Infant and Young Child Nutrition
$865,865
Research and Quality Assurance
$4,024,849
Maternal and Newborn Health and Nutrition
$7,781,854
Global Advocacy
$2,060,439
Food Fortification
$6,089,288
Integrated Nutrition Programs
$6,019,929
Technical Assistance Mechanism
$2,915,376
Vitamin A $18,937,404
Adolescents’ and Women’s Nutrition $7,015,788
Universal Salt Iodization $2,712,544
Zinc and ORS $2,395,396
Infant and Young Child Nutrition $865,865
Research and Quality Assurance $4,024,849
Maternal and Newborn Health and Nutrition $7,781,854
Global Advocacy $2,060,439
Food Fortification $6,089,288
Integrated Nutrition Programs $6,019,929
Technical Assistance Mechanism $2,915,376
Total $60,818,732

About Nutrition International

Leading the fight against global malnutrition.

Nutrition International is a global leader in the fight against all forms of malnutrition, improving the nutritional status, health and wellbeing of people living in vulnerable situations across more than 60 countries, with a special focus on women, adolescent girls and children.

Our world-class expertise and focused, impact-driven approach — combined with over three decades of hands-on experience as a trusted ally to governments, donors and implementers — allows us to deliver targeted nutrition interventions at scale. From conducting cutting edge research and supporting policy makers to strengthening program delivery and integrating nutrition into broader development initiatives, we make a difference, because nutrition is the difference.