DInA Coffee & Chai Chat: New Estimates of Dietary Micronutrient Inadequacies

On October 24, 2024 at 9 a.m. EST, the Micronutrient Data Innovation Alliance (DInA) hosted a Coffee & Chai Chat with Drs. Ty Beal (GAIN), Simone Passarelli (U.S. Department of State), Anna Lartey (University of Ghana), and Masresha Tessema (Ethiopian Public Health Institute). The discussion focused on how the recently published global estimates of inadequate micronutrient intakes can be used and directly applied to national contexts, providing actionable insights for country-level nutrition planning.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, presents groundbreaking estimates on the prevalence of micronutrient intake inadequacies across 185 countries, modelling inadequacies for 15 essential micronutrients. Findings reveal that over five billion people globally are not consuming adequate amounts of key nutrients in the diet (excluding sources from fortified foods), with iodine, vitamin E, calcium, and iron generally showing the highest inadequacies. The study also shows significant geographic and demographic variability. A web app was developed for the study that provides country-specific visuals by sex and age group. 

 This information complements the publication by Stevens et al (2022), which showed that half of children under the age of five and 2 in 3 women of reproductive age are deficient in at least one of the three key micronutrients: iron, zinc and vitamin A.  Understanding data on the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency and inadequate intake in a national context can help countries prioritize nutrition policies and interventions, such as large-scale food fortification, and tailor them to their population's specific nutrient gaps.

The virtual Coffee & Chai Chat highlighted how the specific findings from the study—such as micronutrient gaps by sub-national demographic group—can provide actionable insights for country-level nutrition planning.