In this article, Vitamin Angels describes its approach to multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) programming and provides short case studies of their work in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia.

In this article, authors estimated the impacts, costs and cost-effectiveness of hypothetically replacing iron folic acid (IFA) supplements with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for one year in the context of an ongoing program to deliver supplements to pregnant women in Bangladesh. Authors modeled a scenario with current program coverage, and assuming 100 percent adherence and no tablet ‘wastage’ (i.e., all purchased tablets are consumed and ‘count’ toward health benefits). Authors then extended the analysis to introduce the costs of programmatic transitions and possible tablet distribution scenarios.

This article discusses the global evidence from high-quality, randomized trials demonstrates that daily supplementation with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in pregnancy compared with supplementation with iron and folic acid (IFA) alone improves birth outcomes. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that MMS reduces the risk of babies being born with a low birth weight by 12–14 percent, reduces the risk of small-for-gestational age births by 3–8 percent and may reduce preterm birth by 5–7 percent. New analyses also show that MMS in pregnancy reduces the risk of mortality among female infants. All women and children were found to benefit, but the data suggests that MMS helps undernourished women especially.

Evidence outlined in this paper shows that multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) are a highly cost-effective way to prevent many adverse antenatal and perinatal outcomes. The article also describes the work of the MMS Technical Advisory Group (MMS-TAG) including: the establishment of a communications hub to advise and document global program implementation; the production of generic technical reference materials that could be adapted to the context of adopting countries; and the provision of technical support when needed to address issues that emerge.

This article describes development and use of the Nutrition International’s multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) Cost-Benefit Tool. MMS Cost-Benefit Tool is an open access, user-friendly, online analytical tool that supports governments’ use of country-specific data in their decision-making on whether investing in antenatal MMS rather than iron folic acid (IFA) is better value for money.

This article describes the work of a CIFF-led consortium of stakeholders working to sustainably shape the market for affordable and accessible multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in Bangladesh. It documents the transformative proposition of a market-based model to get high-quality multiple micronutrient supplements to pregnant women in Bangladesh at the right price, with effective promotion and the correct place or channel of distribution, while
creating the right policy environment.

This article provides an overview of the policy hurdles for multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in South Africa; addresses the knowledge gap around the evidence base by taking the birth outcomes and cost-effectiveness of MMS from two recent scientific reviews, and applying it to the South African context; addresses the knowledge gap around programmatic aspects of MMS and synthesizes learnings from provinces to establish a transition back to MMS; and  presents recommendations and strategies for the reintroduction of MMS into the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Essential Medicines List (EML).

The SUMMIT Institute in Indonesia designed a survey and information platform comprising proctored web surveys, SMS and chatbots, and conducted a national survey of preferences concerning multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) packaging type and supplement count per package. In this article, data from 407 respondents are reported, who articulated their preferences with Likert-scale ratings for either bottle or blister packs, and for a supplement count of either 30 or 180 per package.  

This Sight and Life Special Report: Focusing on Multiple Micronutrient Supplements in Pregnancy, compiles and curates the latest evidence, experience from the field, and resources for scale-up. It aims to serve as an important resource for decision-makers and implementers, thereby driving the introduction and adoption of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS). Articles in the report touch on reviewing the evidence, implementation, advocacy for MMS, and access to supply.