Abuja: The Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has called on the federal and state governments to prioritize domestic financing, accountability, and effective implementation of nutrition interventions to reduce anaemia among women and children. Mr. Sunday Okoronkwo, Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, made this appeal during a biannual media conference in Abuja, focusing on the anaemia situation in Nigeria.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, anaemia is a condition characterized by insufficient haemoglobin or healthy red blood cells to transport adequate oxygen throughout the body. Okoronkwo emphasized the need for stronger financing and accountability to ensure that government commitments on nutrition translate into tangible services and commodities for vulnerable populations. He urged the federal and state governments to establish dedicated budget lines for nutrition interventions, ensure timely release of funds, and enhance expenditure tracking, routine audits, and public reporting.
Furthermore, Okoronkwo advocated for integrating Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) into routine Primary Health Care commodity and procurement systems to improve availability and address recurrent stock-outs. Dr. Clementina Okoro, Head of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the nutritional and health status of Nigerians. Represented by Mrs. Christiana Yunana, Dr. Okoro highlighted anaemia as a significant public health challenge, particularly among women and children, affecting health, learning, productivity, and socio-economic development.
The revised national policy targets a reduction in anaemia among women of reproductive age from 47 percent in 2024 to 30 percent or below by 2035, with interim targets aiming to reduce prevalence to 38 percent by 2029 and 34 percent by 2032. Mrs. Adegbite Olufunmilola, Director of the Nutrition Department at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, described anaemia as a serious challenge affecting millions, particularly pregnant women, with prevalence exceeding 50 percent. She emphasized the importance of MMS and Iron-Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAs) in preventing anaemia and improving birth outcomes.
Olufunmilola urged more states to adopt MMS, noting that only about 10 of the 37 states, including the FCT, had joined the initiative. She also called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders and the promotion of affordable IFAs to ensure pregnant women have access to essential nutrition interventions. Major Edith Nwachchinaemere, Chairman of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) FCT Chapter, emphasized that anaemia should be treated as a national development priority, affecting children’s learning and development, the educational potential of adolescent girls, and posing risks to mothers and babies when women enter pregnancy anaemic.
Prof. Kola Anigo, National Coordinator of the Academic and Research Network Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (ARN-SUNN), presented the findings of a formative research study. The study, titled ‘Formative Study to Examine Baseline for Anaemia Funding Commitment Through the Child Nutrition Fund and Level of Multiple Micronutrient Supplement Uptake Across CS-SUNN Focus and UNICEF Supported States,’ highlighted government and partner financing commitments for anaemia prevention and CNF implementation. The research revealed significant gaps between budgetary allocation and actual fund disbursement, with 61 percent of focal states reporting zero CNF disbursements in 2024 despite approved budget lines.
The study also showed that only 25.2 percent of women achieved the eight antenatal contacts recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and only 42 percent commenced their first antenatal visit during the first trimester, limiting opportunities for early anaemia screening and intervention. On uptake, 62.9 percent received MMS where available, and 53 percent reported daily intake. However, only 39.4 percent of health workers reported that MMS was always available, and 18.3 percent reported frequent stock-outs.
The study recommended institutionalizing MMS, strengthening accountability mechanisms, building the capacity of frontline health workers, and intensifying community demand generation to prevent recurrent stock-outs at primary healthcare facilities. It also called for stronger counterpart financing by states, timely release of approved funds, improved commodity monitoring, and prioritization of rural and hard-to-reach communities. Closing the gaps between budget appropriation, disbursement, procurement, and availability is crucial to reducing anaemia among women and children.