The Federal Government has approved transition from Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) to Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS) by pregnant women in the country.
By this development, every woman is expected to take MMS once daily for 180 days during pregnancy.
However, the government is not phasing out IFAS, as health facilities with access to it will continue to use them.
Announcing the transition, yesterday, in Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Mohammed Pate, said the 2018 Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) showed that about 61 per cent of all pregnant women were anaemic, adding that maternal anaemia puts the mother at increased risk of death and poor pregnancy and birth outcomes.
He noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved MMS as a safe and cost-effective way to meet micronutrient requirement of women during pregnancy.
The minister observed that in 2021, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) approved the use of MMS during pregnancy through its updated National Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Micronutrient Deficiencies (MNDC) in Nigeria Guideline.
Pate, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Kachollom Daju, stated that for MMS to be effective, pregnant women must consume the right dose at the right time with the right frequency.
He expressed government’s commitment to develop and implement policies that strengthen the National Health System for efficient, accessible and affordable healthcare services, in partnership with all other development partners and non-governmental organisations.
The minister thanked the Bill and Melinda Gates (BMG) Nutrition International as well as other donors and development partners, health agencies at the federal and state levels, and individuals, especially those supporting improved maternal health, nutrition and pregnancy outcomes.
