Vitamin Angels, a charity that distributes vitamins and minerals to children and mothers in need of nutritional support, said its work continues to support international development goals set by the United Nations (UN). The UN’s newly established Global Goals, announced on Sep. 25, are a recent follow up to the Millennium Development Goals established in 2000 which had a 2015 deadline for completion. The new 17 Global Goals intend to address three primary objectives: end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change by the year 2030.

“The initial Millennium Development Goals set some audacious targets, and while the outcome wasn’t perfect, the world stepped up and accomplished some amazing things,” said Howard Schiffer, president and founder of Vitamin Angels. “The mortality rate of children under five was cut by more than half since 1990. We still have a long way to go, but as a global community we can come together to end poverty and hunger, and to facilitate good health and well-being for everyone on the planet.”

Vitamin Angels contends ending poverty tomorrow requires breaking the cycle of malnutrition today. The organization’s work targets the issues addressed in Global Goals 1, 2, 3. Without proper nutrition for mothers during pregnancy and good nutrition for infants and young children through the first 5 years of life—including exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life—children cannot reach their full intellectual or physical potential. By distributing pre/postnatal multivitamins to women, and high dose vitamin A and deworming treatments to at-risk children under age 5, Vitamin Angels combats the immediate risk of illness or death (Goal #3) faced by those lacking regular access to nutritious foods (Goal #2) as well as helping children build the foundation for long-term success (Goal #1).

Additionally, Vitamin Angels’ unique model leverages private sector resources to procure vitamins and minerals for underserved populations in need (Goal #17). The charity then grants these supplements, along with educational and advocacy resources, to a network of fellow charities (currently numbering more than 700) that serve and work at a grassroots level with the target populations identified in the Global Goals. Vitamin Angels’ local charity partners’ (both international and domestic) understanding of and trust built with the indigenous populations are critical to the adoption of Vitamin Angels’ programs that support the Global Goals.

The UN’s Global Goals serve as the next generation of international targets for governments, the corporate sector, non-profit organizations, and individuals alike to rally behind.