Story Summary:
- Media Advocacy Needed: Media professionals are called upon to actively promote Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) to address Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate.
- Declining Dietary Diversity: There has been a significant drop in dietary diversity among pregnant women, with only 28.8% meeting the required standards as of 2021.
- MMS Benefits: MMS, which includes 13 additional micronutrients beyond Iron and Folic Acid, is vital for ensuring the health of both mother and child, particularly for women at Primary Health Centres in Lagos State.
- Health Risks of Malnutrition: Malnutrition is associated with 20% of maternal deaths and increases the risk of anaemia, preterm births, and postpartum haemorrhage.
- Efforts to Ensure MMS Availability: The Lagos State Ministry of Health, along with partners like UNICEF, is working to make MMS available in both public and private health facilities.
In a bid to tackle Nigeria’s troubling maternal mortality rate, experts are calling on the media to champion the cause of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women.
Olawumi Ajayi, Clinical Dietitian and Lagos State Coordinator for the Alive & Thrive Project, made the appeal during a media roundtable organized by Alive & Thrive, a project managed by FHI 360 and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ajayi highlighted the urgent need to enhance maternal nutrition nationwide and urged media professionals to transcend traditional reporting roles and become proactive advocates for maternal health issues.
The roundtable, which saw participation from various media personnel, brought to light the dire state of maternal health in Nigeria. Ajayi pointed out that many women lack the essential nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy due to poor dietary diversity.
“We want the media to leverage their platforms to deeply address this issue. It’s about more than just reporting; it’s about advocacy,” Ajayi said.
Citing data from the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2018 and the Nigerian Food Consumption Metric Survey (NFCMS) 2021, Ajayi noted a significant decline in dietary diversity for pregnant and lactating women. The Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) for these women dropped by roughly a third, with only 28.8% meeting the required standards as of 2021. For non-pregnant and non-lactating women, the figure is 28.2%, and the overall MDD score for women of reproductive age is just 3.6 out of 10.
Ajayi stressed that malnutrition contributes to one in five maternal deaths, with inadequately nourished mothers being at higher risk of conditions like anaemia, which can lead to preterm births and postpartum haemorrhage—the leading cause of maternal deaths.
She underscored the importance of MMS, which provides 13 additional micronutrients beyond the Iron and Folic Acid (IFAS) traditionally administered to pregnant women. This new initiative is focused on women attending Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Lagos State, where it is crucial for them to attend antenatal care and receive MMS daily until delivery for the health of both mother and child.
Ajayi also noted that MMS is crucial for meeting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including reducing stunting in children under five by 40%, cutting anaemia in women of reproductive age by 50%, and decreasing the incidence of low birth weight by 30%.
Mrs. Taiwo Fadairo, State Nutrition Officer for the Lagos State Ministry of Health, reinforced the necessity of MMS for women of reproductive age. She explained that the nutritional needs of these women, particularly during pregnancy, often surpass what can be achieved through diet alone due to nutrient losses during food processing and cooking.
“We need to supplement with MMS to ensure that women receive their recommended daily dietary allowances,” Fadairo said. She also noted that the State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with partners like UNICEF, is working to ensure the availability of MMS in both private and public health facilities.
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