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Partnering with UNICEF on Zinc & Health

June 25, 2014

Teck’s Zinc & Health program is making a real difference in the lives of people at risk of zinc deficiency, which contributes to the death of 450,000 children every year.

Our partnership with the chemical company BASF has provided 35 million people with access to zinc-fortified staple foods to improve nutrition. And our work with the Zinc Alliance for Child Health — our partnership with the Government of Canada, Micronutrient Initiative and UNICEF — has helped provide zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) to five million children in sub-Saharan Africa.

According to UNICEF, more children die in India than anywhere in the world. Many die from preventable causes like diarrhea. Sadly, less than 2% of children in India have access to zinc and ORS, an inexpensive life-saving treatment. That’s why we partnered with UNICEF Canada in 2013 to improve access to and use of zinc as a treatment for diarrhea in three states of India — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. Our partnership with UNICEF Canada aims to save the lives of 150,000 children by 2018 and 50,000 lives annually going forward by strengthening health care systems in India. To learn more about our Zinc & Health program, visit http://www.zincsaveslives.com.

First Published on June 25, 2014