One in Five Indians Vitamin D Deficient

Describing vitamin D deficiency as a “silent epidemic” with wide-reaching health and economic consequences, the report found it to be particularly prevalent in eastern India and among vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and urban populations. Highlighting major contributing factors, including pollution, limited sun exposure, poor dietary intake, affordability barriers, and a lack of national health initiatives, the report authors urge swift and comprehensive action to prevent a looming public health crisis.

The proposed solutions include affordable testing, national awareness campaigns, mandatory food fortification, subsidizing supplements, integrating vitamin D supplementation into existing health programs, making vitamin D screening and care part of antenatal and child health services, and updating the outdated Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Emphasizing that vitamin D deficiency is not just a clinical issue but a national development concern, the report urges policymakers to reframe the crisis under India’s preventive healthcare agenda.

To read how, despite plentiful sun, researchers have similarly found high rates of vitamin D deficiency in Africa, see this article on our website.