Every woman deserves a healthy pregnancy, and every child deserves a healthy start. No matter where they live.
Since 2018, Kirk Humanitarian has supported Direct Relief’s work to improve maternal health by donating high-quality multiple micronutrient supplements to women in more than 50 countries.
Kirk Humanitarian has supported Direct Relief’s work to improve maternal health by donating high-quality multiple micronutrient supplements.
More than 1.6 million bottles have reached women in 51 countries, helping prevent maternal anemia, a significant driver of maternal death, and improve pregnancy outcomes, reducing the risks of stillbirth, low birth weight, and pre-term birth, among other benefits.
The production and distribution of MMS is a part of a larger movement to improve antenatal care – especially for the most vulnerable – and help generate greater global equity. While MMS, containing 15 micronutrients, is a standard component of antenatal care in high-income countries, women in low- and middle-income countries often only have access to iron-folic acid supplements, which contain only two micronutrients. MMS is vastly superior to iron-folic acid supplements when it comes to improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
In addition to MMS donations, Kirk Humanitarian also leads in the effort to support a global transition from IFA to MMS by supporting MMS production, implementation research, and advocacy.
