Fhi360 Alive and Thrive in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Health sensitizes pregnant women in Lagos on the importance of Multiple Micronutrients Supplementation (MMS).
In a move to improve pregnancy outcomes in the state, Olawumi Ajayi the State Coordinator Alive and Thrive project encouraged pregnant women on the need to adhere to Multiple Micronutrients Supplementation.
Olawumi said that according to available data 1 in every 5 maternal deaths that occur are due to malnutrition showing that women need additional nutritional support especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
She noted that some methods of food preparation in Nigeria allows for loss of essential micronutrients in the food.
‘For instance when we buy vegetables in the market, most of us believe in cutting the vegetables in the market because we want to save time. Now the problem with that is when you cut the vegetables and you don’t want to cook them without washing, the moment you pour the vegetable in water for washing
, the whole water will turn green and that is the nutrients being washed away. The rest is chaff.’
She therefore advised women to always wash the vegetables before cutting them for use.
Olawumi further explained that the surge in food inflation in Nigeria has worsen the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD).
‘MDD is the minimum variety of food that we eat which has an index for measurement. The Nigeria Demographic Health Survey 2018 reported that in Bauchi State 73% of women achieved the MDD while only 59% and 39% achieved it in Lagos State and Kano State respectively. In 2021, the Nigeria Food Consumption Metric Survey reported that the percentage of women that achieved the MDD in Nigeria were only 28.2% while that of pregnant and lactating women were 28.8%.’
She ascribed the further decline on MDD on food inflation, ‘These are reasons why all pregnant women women must use Multiple Micronutrients Supplementation in order to boost their nutritional uptake and meet physiological conditions for pregnancy.
‘Resea
rch has indicated that antenatal MMS, a daily dose of 15 vitamins and minerals is as effective as iron and folic acid in preventing maternal anaemia and more effective at improving birth outcomes.’
She further admonished women of reproductive age to always prepare for pregnancy by taken iron and folic acid supplements and once pregnant should switch to MMS.
Mrs Taiwo Fadairo, the State Nutritional Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Health on her part said MMS is free for all pregnant women in the state.
‘It is available in all the Primary Healthcare Centres including General hospitals.’
The Alive and Thrive Initiative managed by Fhi360 is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Fhi360 is working to improve the health and wellbeing of women, infants, young children and adolescents through the Alive and Thrive Initiative.
Source: Voice of Nigeria