The federal government says it has distributed more than 1.3 million bottles of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in 12 states, with three million more bottles planned to be delivered by the end of September.
The Acting Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ado Bako, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
According to him, the supplements aim to address the nutritional needs of pregnant women and significantly reduce the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that MMS for pregnant women is a daily dose of 15 essential vitamins and minerals, including iron and folic acid, ensuring that they receive more of the essential nutrients that contribute to healthier pregnancies and better birth outcomes.
Its aim is to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Nigeria.
NAN also reports that the Federal Government adopted the use of MMS based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 recommendation on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience.
Mr Bako said the MMS initiative aligns with WHO recommendations and the second pillar of the Ministry’s four-point agenda to improve health outcomes.
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She added that this comes particularly in light of the 2022 Global Nutrition Report, which revealed that the country was far from reducing anaemia among women of reproductive age.
“In Nigeria, iron deficiency anaemia remains the most common micronutrient deficiency, affecting 60 percent of pregnant women, according to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).
“These deficiencies not only put women at higher risk of serious health complications during pregnancy, but also increase the likelihood of low birth weight, stillbirth and developmental delays in children.
“MMS offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges. The daily supplement containing 15 essential vitamins and minerals, designed to be taken during pregnancy, has emerged as a cost-effective solution in maternal health interventions globally.
“This method has been shown to reduce the risk of low birth weight by 21 percent, stillbirth by 9 percent, and small for gestational age (SGA) babies by 10 percent.”
Mr Bako said the introduction of MMS was part of the federal government's broader strategy to improve maternal and child health services.
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She recalled that 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.
Mr Bako said the federal government estimated a demand for 421 million MMS tablets by 2024 to meet the needs of pregnant women.
“While recent support and donations from several international partners such as UNICEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been beneficial to this initiative, it is imperative to note that the doses received are merely a top-up to the doses already allocated for implementation.”
(YAYA)