The Temasek Foundation will be providing more than 100,000 bottles of Vitamin D tablets to low-income families and seniors, as well as expectant mothers assessed to be suitable to take the supplements.
They announced this good news in a media release on Thursday (11 March), as a part of their campaign to raise more awareness on the importance of Vitamin D among Singaporeans.
“Sunshine Vitamin” Supplements For Vulnerable Residents And Pregnant Mothers
Image source: iStock
With studies that suggest how Singaporeans are deficient in Vitamin D, the Temasek Foundation commissioned the nutrition and health arm of German multinational company BASF in order to develop a “convenient melt-on-tongue Vitamin D3 formulation.”
Ms Tina Low, Vice President, Global Business Management, BASF Human Nutrition noted, “We’ve formulated the Vitamin D tablets according to recommended intake levels, backed by scientific rationale, and with the objective of decreasing deficiency among Singaporeans.”
“The melt-on-tongue formulation also makes it easy to consume the supplements,” she adds.
The supplements they will be providing were said to be:
- Coming in bottles of 100 tablets
- Having a dosage of 400 Internation Units (IU) per tablet
- Roughly equivalent to two months’ supply for an adult each bottle
From 15 March to 28 March, the distribution of Vitamin D tablets will be given to Singapore residents with Blue or Orange Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cards or Public Assistance recipients.
These bottles of Vitamin D supplements may be collected at the following locations:
- Participating Guardian, Unity and Watsons pharmacies with subject to assessment by pharmacists
- 5,000 expectant mothers receiving antenatal care will be provided with the supplements by KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH)
- About 1,500 vulnerable seniors will also be given supplements by SATA CommHealth through its Doctors-On-Wheels programme, Homecare and Rehabilitation Services, Community Hub in Fernvale
- SATA CommHealth will also provide these supplements to vulnerable seniors at six medical centres that are situated across the island
“This programme is the latest of many Stay Prepared COVID-19 initiatives by Temasek Foundation, the aims of which are to enhance resilience and support communities locally and internationally during the pandemic,” they added in their media release.
The #StrongerWithSunshine Campaign
Image source: Stay Prepared website
The organisation will also be rolling out a public education campaign to raise more awareness on the importance of Vitamin D.
Their #StrongerWithSunshine campaign is said to feature a microsite that includes personal experiences from community influencers. They are expected to discuss how they boost their Vitamin D levels with regular outdoor activities and good nutrition.
Vitamin D is commonly known as the “Sunshine vitamin.” It is usually made in the skin when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. This vitamin plays a vital role in supporting our immune systems, our body’s muscle functions and helps keep our bones strong and healthy along with calcium.
Although, in Singapore, it’s been found that many residents are not getting enough Vitamin D which may have worsened after consistently staying indoors due to the current pandemic.
“We see a high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women globally and in Singapore,” Professor Jerry Chan, Senior Consultant, Department of Reproductive Medicine, KKH also states, “It is important for pregnant women to get an adequate amount of Vitamin D as it is proven to reduce the risk of complications in pregnancies such as preterm birth and low birth weight in infants.”
“The public should seek advice from healthcare professionals if they think they are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency,” says Temasek Foundation.
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