UNICEF: Multiple micronutrient supplements needed to reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says the introduction of antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women will reduce maternal and infant mortality in Nigeria.

Oluniyi Oyedokun, UNICEF Kano field office nutrition specialist, spoke on Thursday at a two-day stakeholders inception meeting on scale-up of MMS in Kano.

Pregnancy increases the daily requirement of several vitamins and minerals that will meet the nutritional needs of the developing fetus and other metabolic functions.

The MMS is designed to address these heightened demands, particularly for pregnant women in settings where micronutrient intake is typically low due to limited access to balanced meals, gender inequity, and prevalent social norms.

In trying to ensure better birth outcomes, the federal government in January, adopted the use of antenatal MMS, based on the 2020 WHO recommendation on antenatal care.

Oyedokun said the MMS intervention was being sponsored by the Gates Foundation, adding that only five states in Nigeria, including Kano, are currently benefiting from the project.

He said the objectives of the meeting was to share the concept and deliverables of the MMS scale-up to state level stakeholders in the state.

“The meeting is also to outline and agree on the roles and responsibilities of partners, to identify the enabling environment for leveraging government resources for procurement of MMS, and agree on modalities of implementation,” Oyedokun said.

He urged policymakers to hasten the release of funds for the procurement of MMS to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

Oyedokun called on stakeholders to look at the prevention of anaemia in pregnancy from the perspective of social behavioural change.

Speaking earlier, Abubakar Labaran, the state commissioner for health, commended UNICEF and partners for their prompt intervention to the Kano state government, particularly on issues concerning primary healthcare for children and pregnant women.

“We appreciate UNICEF and other partners, partnering with Kano State Government to ensure that we overcome all health challenges, particularly anaemia among children under five years and pregnant women,” he said.