Angela Onwuzoo In a move to improve pregnancy outcomes in Lagos State, a non-governmental organisation, FHI 360 Alive&Thrive has sensitised the state’s nutrition stakeholders to the importance of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation for pregnant women. The Alive & Thrive initiative, managed by FHI 360, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Government of Ireland, and other donors. At a one-day orientation programme for the stakeholders in Ikeja recently, the NGO stressed the need for nutrition officers and health workers to make MMS available to pre- and antenatal women to enhance their nutrition.
The NGO also advised the stakeholders to make the information about its efficacy available to women especially those of childbearing age. MMS is a once-a-day pill packed with critical micronutrients, typically containing 13 to 15 vitamins and minerals. Pregnant women are expected to take the tablet once daily for 180 days in the course of the pregnancy.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare adopted the use of MMS based on the 2020 World Health Organisation recommendation on antenatal care for positive pregnancy experience. This led to the Federal Government’s inclusion of MMS for pregnant women in the “National Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Micronutrients Deficiencies Control in Nigeria” for improved pregnancy outcomes, compared to Iron Folic Acid supplementation. The recommendation is outlined by the United Nations International M.