Korede Abdullah in Lagos
Nutrition experts and advocates in Lagos are calling on the state government to prioritize funding for nutrition initiatives and expand the provision of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) to combat malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant women.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pledged support for state governments in procuring and distributing MMS, but requires a counterpart funding commitment of just N100,000.
The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023 revealed alarming statistics: 40% of children under five in Nigeria are stunted, with 17.3% in Lagos affected. MMS addresses deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, containing 15 critical nutrients.
Studies show MMS reduces anaemia prevalence, strengthens immune functions, and improves birth outcomes. It’s a cost-effective strategy to combat malnutrition, complementing food security and dietary diversity initiatives.
The stakeholders urged the government to allocate counterpart funding for Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) procurement and leverage donor support.
They also recommended expediting the procurement of MMS, Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF), Micronutrient Powder (MNP), and Small Quantity-Lipid Based Supplements (SQ-LNS).
Additionally, stakeholders suggested utilizing social media to disseminate accurate MMS information to younger pregnant and breastfeeding women.
