VITAMIN ANGELS CONCLUDES THREE-YEAR STRATEGY, REACHING 220 MILLION WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND ACCELERATING PROGRESS TOWARD 2033 GOAL

GOLETA, Calif., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitamin Angels has completed its three-year strategic cycle, reaching 220 million women and children over the last three years and accelerating progress toward its goal of doubling its annual reach to 140 million by 2033. Over the past three years, the organization implemented programs in over 65 countries, partnered with 20 new public and private funders, trained over 36 thousand healthcare providers and community health workers, and supported 9 national governments in strengthening policies and systems for the delivery of essential nutrition.

"Over the past three years, Vitamin Angels sharpened its focus on building lasting impact," said Ana Céspedes, CEO of Vitamin Angels. "As the new CEO, I'm inspired by the strong foundation already in place – one built on strengthening health systems, expanding partnerships, and embedding nutrition solutions into national policies. These efforts will continue to improve lives long after programs conclude. This momentum positions us well for the next phase of our journey toward reaching 140 million women and children annually by 2033."

The health outcomes of reaching 220 million women and children with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), vitamin A, and deworming include: 

• Over 147,000 children's lives were saved.
• More than 209,000 babies were born stronger, with improved birth outcomes.
• Over 1,275,000 children were spared from stunting, preserving their ability to grow, learn, and dream.
• Over 1,854,000 pregnant women were protected from anemia, safeguarding both their health and their child's development.

"Vitamin Angels' three year impact was guided by rigorous, evidence-based modeling using the Johns Hopkins Lives Saved Tool (LiST)," said Dr. Robert Black, Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Vitamin Angels Board of Directors Member. "By applying LiST to program planning and evaluation, the organization was able to ensure that investments were directed to the interventions with the greatest potential to improve maternal and child health. This tool will continue to play a key role in Vitamin Angels' next strategic plan."

Building on the momentum of its three-year progress, 2025 marked a pivotal year for Vitamin Angels in advancing innovative initiatives, deepening partnerships, and delivering programmatic breakthroughs that position the organization as a trusted partner and leader in maternal and child nutrition.

Key highlights from 2025 include:

• Initiated Climate-Inspired Nutrition Through Action (CINTA): A five-year initiative that will strengthen climate-resilient health systems and expand access to maternal and child nutrition across Indonesia. Funded by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited through their Global CSR Program, Vitamin Angels will work in coordination with the Indonesian government to train nearly one million health workers and deliver climate-responsive nutrition solutions to 12 million women and children most vulnerable to malnutrition.
  
  
• Achieved Corporate Partnership Milestones: Walgreens and Vitamin Angels surpassed 500 million women and children reached through their 12-year partnership. Bayer supported Vitamin Angels in achieving more than 1,000 course completions in its global Continuing Medical Education Course, Nutrition in Pregnancy. SmartyPants Vitamins marked 40 million women and children reached since partnering with Vitamin Angels in 2011. The Vitamin Shoppe raised over $1.1 million during its annual in-store fundraising campaign, enabling Vitamin Angels to reach more than 4.5 million women and children with essential nutrition. In addition, Vitamin Angels welcomed many new partners, including TC Nutrition and Sirio Nutrition, further expanding its network of collaborators committed to improving maternal and child nutrition.
  
  
• Exceeded Transforming Lives Through Nutrition Reach Goal: In its first year, Transforming Lives Through Nutrition, a consortium uniting Vitamin Angels, Helen Keller Intl, and iDE, and funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, exceeded its reach goal by delivering essential nutrition to more than 29 million people, including 27 million children, 2 million women, and 192 thousand healthcare workers throughout Asia and Africa.

As Vitamin Angels enters its next strategic phase, the organization will build on the progress achieved over the past three years by scaling high-impact nutrition interventions, deepening health system integration, and expanding partnerships with governments, global health implementers, academic institutions, funders, and the private sector.

"Under the leadership of CEO Ana Céspedes, Vitamin Angels is shaping its next strategic phase with a clear emphasis on science, systems, and high-impact collaboration to further improve women and children's health," said Jim Hamilton, Chairman of Vitamin Angels' Board. "The organization's forthcoming strategy, to be released later this year, reflects this evolution."

ABOUT VITAMIN ANGELS
Founded in 1994, Vitamin Angels is a global health nonprofit committed to improving the nutrition and health of underserved women and children. The organization works through an extensive network of partners—including governments—by strengthening, extending, and amplifying their impact to reach the most nutritionally vulnerable groups: pregnant women, infants, and young children in low-resource settings globally. Through proven maternal and child nutrition solutions, research, technical assistance, and advocacy, Vitamin Angels impacts the lives of 74 million women and children in approximately 65 countries, including in all 50 US states, each year. Earning the highest marks for financial transparency from both Charity Navigator and GuideStar, Vitamin Angels envisions a world where everyone, everywhere, has a chance to fulfill their potential. To learn more, visit vitaminangels.org.

SOURCE Vitamin Angels