In a bold step towards improving maternal health, the Lagos state government, in collaboration with non-governmental organisation, Alive & Thrive, has launched a new initiative aimed at tackling maternal malnutrition.
The initiative, managed by FHI 360, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It focuses on the distribution of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) to pregnant women across the state.
Clinical dietitian and Lagos state coordinator for the Alive & Thrive project, Olawumi Ajayi, at a one-day media roundtable in Lagos, highlighted the worrying situation of the nation’s maternal health, where a lack of variety in nutrition deprives many women of the vital nutrients needed for a safe pregnancy.
Ajayi emphasised the seriousness of the issue by citing statistics from the Nigerian Food Consumption Metric Survey (NFCMS) 2021 and the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2018.
According to Ajayi, one in five maternal deaths in Nigeria are related to malnutrition, making maternal nutrition a serious problem. She clarified that women require extra assistance from nutrient-dense, safe, reasonably priced, and sustainable meals, especially during pregnancy and lactation.
“The Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) for pregnant and lactating women has declined by about a third, with 28.8 percent meeting the required dietary diversity as of 2021. For non-pregnant and non-lactating women, the figure stands at 28.2 percent, while the overall MDD score for women of reproductive age is just 3.6 out of 10”.
The MMS initiative is designed to complement existing maternal healthcare services and will be rolled out in phases, starting with primary health centers in underserved communities. Women who access antenatal care in these centers will be provided with MMS, which contains essential vitamins such as iron, folic acid, and calcium.
Ajayi pointed out that anaemia, which greatly raises the risk of preterm birth and postpartum hemorrhage—the primary cause of maternal death—is more common in undernourished moms, while underlining the vital importance of MMS, which comprises 13 more micronutrients in addition to the iron and folic acid (IFAS) that are customarily given to expectant mothers.
“This new initiative is particularly for women attending Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Lagos State. We strongly advocate that they attend antenatal care and receive MMS daily until delivery to ensure the health of both mother and child,” Ajayi stated.
She went on to say that MMS is essential for accomplishing a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those that have to do with lowering the rate of low birth weight by 30 percent, reducing anaemia in women of reproductive age by 50 percent, and reducing stunting in children under five by 40 percent.
The clinical dietitian consequently urged the media to become advocates for maternal nutrition, going beyond just reporting on the subject.
“We want the media to use their platforms to highlight this issue with a deep understanding. It’s about being advocates of the cause, not only reporters of the cause,” she added.
State nutrition officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Mrs. Taiwo Fadairo, underlined the need of adding MMS to the diets of women who are or may become pregnant. She made the point that nutrient losses during food processing and cooking mean that these women’s nutritional needs—especially during pregnancy—cannot be adequately satisfied by diet alone.
“We need to supplement with MMS to ensure that women derive their recommended daily dietary allowances. The state is doing everything in its capacity, in collaboration with partners like UNICEF, to ensure that MMS is available in both private and public health facilities,” Fadairo averred.
