By Matthew Denis
In a bid to enhance maternal and child health services, the federal government has said it has rolled out millions of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for pregnant women across Nigeria, to address their nutrition needs and significantly reduce the prevalence.It said that the initiative aligned with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s second pillar of our four-point agenda to improve population health outcomes.
In a statement by the Assistant Director Information and Public Relations in the Ministry, Mr. Ado Bako said that the move became necessary in the light of the Global Nutritional Report 2022, which revealed that the country was a long way from reducing anaemia among women of reproductive age. “In Nigeria, Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) remains the most common micronutrient deficiency, affecting over 60 per cent of pregnant women, according to the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2018.
These deficiencies not only put women at higher risk of severe health complications during pregnancy but also increase the likelihood of low birth weight, stillbirths, and developmental delays in children. MMS offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges,” it said.According to the ministry, daily supplement containing 15 essential vitamins and minerals designed to be taken throughout pregnancy, has emerged as a cost-effective solution in global maternal health interventions with a proven ability to reduce the risk of low birth weight by 21 per cent stillbirths by 9 per cent and small for gestational age (SGA) cases by 10 per cent.
The ministry said the introduction of MMS was part of the federal government’s broader strategy to enhance maternal and child health services.“In 2021, MMS was incorporated into the national guidelines for the prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies, demonstrating the government’s commitment to improving nutrition as an integral component of antenatal care.“The national rollout of MMS is being coordinated through antenatal care services, with distribution taking place at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) during routine services.
The estimated demand for 2024 is approximately 421 million MMS tablets to meet the needs of pregnant women. So far, over 1.3 million bottles have been distributed across 12 states, with an additional 3 million bottles scheduled for delivery by the end of September.“The ministry is also scaling up efforts through research initiatives and partnerships with non-state actors to enhance effective community-based distribution,” it said.