Abstract

Vitamin D, a quintessential micronutrient, is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is an important public health problem that has emerged as a pandemic because low levels of vitamin D in the blood is a risk factor for some chronic disabling disorders and it is the most undermined, underdiagnosed and undertreated nutritional deficiency. Worldwide, about 1billion people have been estimated to have insufficient levels of vitamin D. Rapid and rising emergence of this pandemic warrants greater attention of the vast and varied populations which can be achieved through various public health interventions including education, public and professional awareness regarding risk factors, lifestyle interventions, food fortification, vitamin D supplementation, vaccination, routine assessments and early treatment measures.

Keywords

vitamin D, deficiency, public health, fortification, supplementation