Our Mission - Eradicate Micronutrient Deficiencies
"M.N.D HATAO – KHUSHIYAN LAO"
At Deccan Healthcare our mission is to improve access to innovative nutritional solutions with our Healthy Lifestyle Food Products meeting international quality standards through local production, close to the populations requiring them.
Micronutrients are essential to sustain life and for optimal physiological function. Widespread global MicroNutrient Deficiencies (MNDs) exist. Among them Iron, Iodine, Folic Acid, vitamin-A, and Zinc deficiencies are most prevalent. MNDs are common contributors to reducing growth, intellectual impairments, prenatal and neonatal complications, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality.
To list some of the adverse effects these MND's may cause;
- Iron deficiency: is the most common MND worldwide. It leads to microcytic hypochromic anemia, weakness and inability to work, as well as impaired immune and endocrine function.
- Iodine deficiency disorder: is widespread and results in goiter, mental retardation, and reduced cognitive function.
- Adequate zinc is necessary for optimal immune function. Its deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, major causes of death in those <5 years of age.
- Folic acid is taken in early pregnancy and prevents neural tube defects. Folic Acid is essential for DNA synthesis and repair, and deficiency results in microcytic anemia.
- Vitamin A deficiency: is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and it impairs immune function and cell differentiation.
It is important to note that single MNDs rarely occur alone; often, multiple MNDs coexist.
The long-term consequences of MNDs are not only seen at the individual level but also have detrimental impacts on the economic development and human capital at the country level. Perhaps of greatest concern here is the cycle of MNDs that persists over generations and its intergenerational consequences that we are only beginning to understand.
To overcome MNDs is critical and traditionally has been accomplished through supplementation and fortification. The introduction of the local manufacture of Deccan Healthcare's BeYoung brand products improves the response to many nutritional emergencies, makes it easier to tackle chronic malnutrition outside emergency periods, boosts local economies – including raw material production sectors – and fosters the incorporation of ready-to-use nutritional supplements in national nutrition strategies.