Women of reproductive age are a high-risk population for anemia and micronutrient deficiencies, and there is increasing evidence of the role of periconceptional folate and vitamin B12 status in the etiology of birth defects, including neural tube close defects. However, there is little representative population-level data from Southern India, where the burden and consequences of these deficiencies is unacceptably high. The establishment of a periconceptional surveillance program is urgently needed to characterize the burden of anemia and micronutrient deficiencies in Southern India. The proposed research will provide critical pre-intervention biomarker data to inform public health interventions and improve the health of vulnerable populations, including women and young children. This project will also help us to establish the folate microbiology assay (WHO-recommended gold standard method to measure folate) at our Division, with expert guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, US.