India is home to 57 million - or more than a third - of the world’s 146 million undernourished children. Deficiency of micronutrients in diets, particularly vitamin A, iron, iodine, zinc and folic acid, leads to grave consequences in children’s health. GAIN’s objective in India is to improve the nutrition of the population as a whole with a particular focus on the most vulnerable.

GAIN’s objective in Asia is to reduce the burden of malnutrition through market-based programs that improve the nutrition of populations. GAIN awards grants in national food fortification and infant and young child nutrition through competitive bidding processes. Grants cover costs related to fortification including development of related policy and legislation, training in quality assurance and control, purchase of vitamin and mineral premix and fortification equipment and support of product development and marketing.

Infants under the age of two are most vulnerable to the long term negative consequences of malnutrition. The first 1000 days of life from conception represent the period of highest vulnerability but also the greatest window of opportunity for investments in healthy development. The goal of GAIN’s Infant and Young Child Nutrition Program is to improve nutrition and reduce anemia in at least ten million children aged 6 to 24 months.