NGO sensitises Lagos nutrition officers to micronutrient supplementation for pregnant women

A non-governmental organisation called FHI 360 Alive&Thrive has raised awareness among the state's nutrition stakeholders about the significance of multiple micronutrient supplementation for expectant mothers in an effort to enhance pregnancy outcomes in Lagos State.

The Government of Ireland, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other contributors provide funding for the FHI 360-managed Alive & Thrive initiative.

During a recent one-day orientation workshop held in Ikeja for the stakeholders, the non-governmental organisation emphasised the need of nutrition officers and health workers providing MMS to pre- and pregnant women in order to improve their nutrition.

The NGO also recommended that the stakeholders inform women, particularly those who are childbearing age, about its effectiveness.

MMS is a once-daily pill that contains 13 to 15 vitamins and minerals, along with other essential micronutrients.

It is anticipated that expectant mothers will take the tablet once daily for the duration of their pregnancy—180 days total.

The use of MMS was approved by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in accordance with the 2020 World Health Organization's recommendation for prenatal care for a happy pregnancy.

Due to its superior pregnancy outcomes over iron folic acid supplementation, the Federal Government decided to include MMS for expectant mothers in the "National Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Micronutrient Deficiencies Control in Nigeria."

The United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation formula, which is necessary throughout pregnancy, outlines the recommendation.

Speaking during the program for orientation organised by Alive & Thrive, a Nutrition Programme Officer with the Lagos State Primary Care Board, Dr Adekitan Adetoke, said maternal nutrition was crucial because it leads to good pregnancy outcomes.

Adetoke, explained, “Maternal nutrition is of great importance to the world and not just the state or the country. Maternal mortality is being checked by everybody. “This programme is an intervention on MMS that focuses on maternal nutrition.

“It helps mothers to achieve better pregnancy outcomes. Every effort is being made in the state to ensure that maternal mortality is reduced which is part of a universal health and health for all in the Sustainable Development Goals. ”

She noted that if the maternal interventions were intact and there were good pregnancy outcomes, the maternal mortality rate would be reduced.

“MMS has more micronutrients and more minerals and vitamins. It has about 15 of them which folic acid and ferrous are part of.
By consuming only folic acid and ferrous iron, you are depriving yourself of other proteins. We discovered that more vitamins are required before conception, during pregnancy, and after delivery. It is advised that all women who are of childbearing age take MMS.

You should be able to prepare your body for pregnancy and beyond so that you have adequate nutrition both during and after. According to her, MMS is a more valuable vitamin than folic acid and ferrous iron together.

Women have unique nutritional needs throughout their life, according to the UN Children's Fund, particularly before, during, and after pregnancy and lactation, when nutritional vulnerability is highest.

According to experts, a woman's nutritional state prior to conception is crucial because it has a great impact on the very first developmental stages of the pregnancy.

Continuing, Adetoke said MMS was crucial for any woman preparing to get pregnant to avoid the baby being born preterm or with congenital defects.

She pointed out the supplement has enough micronutrients and vitamins and therefore should not be taken along with pregnant care.
She said, "Right now we are pushing this intervention because it is an intervention that is being pushed everywhere in the world so that it can be available," adding more context to the advantages of MMS.

Because it used to be so expensive to get pregnant-related care, everyone used ferrous-folic acid.

"We are integrating this intervention into the government system to make it free for everyone to use at our primary healthcare facilities. It is prescribed and available in Lagos State medical facilities.

Olawumi Ajayi, the State Coordinator for FHI 360 Alive & Thrive Lagos, stressed in her presentation how crucial it was for the expectant mother to take one MMS tablet every day (from the day the woman notices she is pregnant till delivery),
Pregnant women should set an alarm or reminder to take MMS on a daily basis and store the container somewhere visible to them all the time (away from direct sunlight and out of children's reach). This advice came from Ajayi.

It's a good idea to take MMS at the same time every day. The expectant mother might ask her spouse or another family member for assistance in reminding her to take her MMS dose on a daily basis and to get enough supplies by getting in touch with medical professionals and going to ANC.

"Taking MMS as directed will support a healthy pregnancy and optimal growth of the foetus, as well as help the pregnant woman feel less fatigued and more energised," the spokesperson stated.

Additionally, Ajayi said that chemists and medical store owners in charge of monitoring, requisitioning, and maintaining supplies should be oriented on the supplementation protocols and above steps and the importance of micronutrient supplements for maternal nutrition.

“MMS is a once-a-day pill of critical micronutrients needed during pregnancy It contains between 15 essential vitamins and minerals for pregnant and nursing women and meets micronutrient requirements that poor diets cannot meet.

“It is a preventive intervention that should be provided to pregnant women. MMS is safe, efficacious, affordable, and cost-effective as one of the interventions to improve maternal nutrition”, she said.

Besides improving maternal nutrition status, Ajayi stressed that the intake of MMS during pregnancy reduces the risk of adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, and small-for-gestational-age birth.