Posted on: Wed 04-09-2024

Bauchi State Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have joined forces to distribute Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) across all 20 local councils of the state to reduce anaemia in pregnant women.

UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Philomena Irene said the initiative aims to increase MMS distribution to pregnant women, citing a concerning 2018 National Demographic Health Information Survey (NDHIS) report.

The report revealed that only 23 per cent of the 381,364 pregnant women in Bauchi State receive iron and folic acid supplements, essential for preventing low birth weight, maternal anaemia, and iron deficiency.

The state has already received 134,280 bottles of MMS. More is expected as the project progresses. Speaking at a one-day meeting organised by the Bauchi State Government in collaboration with UNICEF and Alive and Thrive, Irene emphasised that the life-saving initiative is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Government and Bauchi State Government.

The initiative is designed to bolster antenatal platforms for delivering high-impact maternal nutrition interventions in Bauchi State. Additionally, it will equip healthcare workers to effectively forecast and track MMS administration to pregnant women using the Logistics Health Management Information System (LHIMS) and DHIS 2 platforms.

This scale-up of MMS aligns with the Nigerian government’s goal of reducing anaemia among pregnant women to 40 per cent by 2025 and contributes to the broader SDG 2030 goal of halving anaemia in pregnant women by 2030.

UNICEF pledged continued support to the Bauchi State Government in mitigating the effects of anaemia in pregnancy and ensuring MMS reaches all pregnant women.

Key stakeholders, including the Commissioner of Health and the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board (SPHCDB), attended the event.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

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