Impact of Micronutrient Supplementation Programmes on Hidden Hunger: A Current Opinion on Indian Perspective

Abstract

It has long been acknowledged that nutrient deficiencies are an issue for public health, especially for vulnerable populations including children, adolescents, and women who are pregnant or nursing. It was not possible to rule out micronutrient deficit despite using a variety of intervention techniques. At the national and international levels, several interventions are being employed to avert and cure deficiencies of micronutrient. This study aims to provide a thorough review of intervention strategies used with various age groups in India that are considered vulnerable. The target of the study was to find diverse interventions that had been published between 2013 and 2021 using peer-reviewed publications and online resources that met predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. The main intervention techniques used in India were identified and assessed using food fortification, knowledge interventions, micronutrient supplementation, and dietary supplements across a range of age groups. The findings demonstrate that there is still a great deal of gaps in our knowledge of the best intervention techniques, research projects, programs, and legislative frameworks for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in India. In order to deal with micronutrients like zinc, calcium, iodine, vitamin A, and vitamin D deficiencies amongst the susceptible inhabitants, a number of effective interventions could pave the way for innovations in strategies with developing numerous micronutrient supplements, various dietary intakes, fortifying foods habits, and nutrition interventions. The government organized policies for enhancing the levels of the micronutrient in the community's most vulnerable residents must be developed immediately, based on long-term, cross-sectional research studies that span a substantial population and provide evidence-based multiple interventions.