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A non-governmental organisation, Alive and Thrive, has said that no fewer than 58 percent of pregnant women in Nigeria have a deficiency of anemia, a contributory factor of maternal and child mortality.
The Organization’s Senior Technical Adviser on Behavior Change Communication, Dr. Auwalu Kawu stated this during a two-day media interactive dialogue in Kano on Multiple Micronutrients Supplements, MMS, a critical intervention for improving maternal and child health.
Dr. Kawu said the figure was based on the most recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, 2018 to 2024.
He, however, advocated the need for pregnant women to use MMS to prevent pregnancy complications as a result of deficiency in nutrients.
According to him, “Recently, the Federal government in collaboration with the state is focusing on improving maternal health, particularly among pregnant women. This is a very critical period because the concern is on maternal mortality, especially during pregnancy, so the government is committed to provide MMS to all pregnant women in the country essentially which will address a lot of the challenges pregnant women face during pregnancy.
“We have observed in addition to anemia, that pregnant women suffer several deficiencies in nutrition, so Multiple Micro-Nutrients, MMS consists of 15 nutrients that are extremely essential for pregnant women to ensure safe delivery and healthy baby.
“So our meeting today with the media is one of the interactive sessions because the media are critical partners in promoting the messages and campaign on MMS.
“We want to encourage the women to use MMS as provided to them at the health facility. MMS is one of the key solutions to anemia.
“All along Nigerian government or in health facilities, women were given Iron Folic Acid, IFA but MMS compliments that. It provides an additional 12 nutrients, so it makes her healthy and address some complications in related to nutritional deficiency.
“Nationally, the current anemia rate is still about 58 percent of pregnant women. They are deficient in anemia. MMS we anticipate will be able to address that gap and correct it,” Dr. Kawu stated.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Country Director (Programmes) of Alive and Thrive, Stephanie Dada said the media interactive session was to raise awareness of the media practitioners on the need to encourage pregnant women to take MMS at the facility to reduce maternal deaths.
