Moving toward the goal of improving global health in 2015
1) Use social media to inform the public about Vitamin D:
Our 5 minute video: Does Less Sun Mean More Disease?
2) Directly advertise to individuals the benefits of Vitamin D
- via Google AdWords - which is free for non-profits
search keywords ==> advertisement ==> 70+ specific VitaminDWiki pages
3) Encourage Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to PROFIT from vitamin D supplementation
(We expect that when 1+ HMOs embrace Vitamin D that momentum will be created for HMOs, hospitals, employers, etc)
Pregnancy should provide a large and quick Return on Investment
Profit by reducing % of preterm births
Each preterm birth costs an HMO an additional $33,000
10% of births are normally preterm, but only 5% are preterm if high vitamin D
One fewer preterm birth if give 20 women vitamin D: (total cost = $3,000?)
HMO savings= $30,000 (Return On Investment = 10X )
$1 million savings resulting from fewer preterm births in 330 pregnancies
Additional profit (to be computed) from reduction in C-section
Extremely low risk experment for an HMO.
4) Support Vitamin D for pregnancy: by advertising, etc.
Project by GrassrootsHealth: 500 women in South Carolina.
Extend by VitaminDWiki to some of the other 99.9999% of pregnant women
In addition to the HMO benefits mentioned above, will add benefits to:
Mother: Decreased labor pains, depression, tooth loss, bacteria vaginosis, . . .
Child: Decreased asthma, colds, flu, ear infection, . .
Recommend augmenting prenatal vitamins with vitamin D - once every two week: capsule or powder on food
Recommend continuing with same vitamin D dose after birth.