Bauchi gets 134,280 food supplements for pregnant women
By Charly Agwam
Bauchi State government has received 134,280 bottles of Multiple Micronutrient Supplement, MMS, from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, BMGF, to treat malnutrition in pregnant women.
Speaking at the launch in Bauchi yesterday, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist Philomena Irene, said that health workers will be effectively trained to administer MMS to pregnant women.
Vanguard reports according to NDHIS 2018, only 23 percent of pregnant women in Bauchi State currently receive iron and folic acid supplementation, essential for reducing the risk of low birth weight, maternal anaemia, and iron deficiency.
The scale-up aligns with the Nigerian government’s plan to reduce anaemia among pregnant women to 40 percent by 2025 and contributes to the SDG 2030 goal of reducing anaemia by 50 percent by 2030.
“Under this scale-up, Bauchi state has received 134,280 bottles of MMS. More will be supplied as the project implementation progresses.”
“This initiative will also strengthen the capacity of health workers to effectively forecast and update MMS administration to pregnant women in Bauchi state on the Logistics Health Management Information system (LHIMS) and DHIS 2 platforms.
“The scale-up of MMS for pregnant women aligns with the Nigerian government’s plan to reduce anaemia among pregnant women to 40 per cent by 2025,” she said. “It also feeds into the SDG 2030 goal of reducing anaemia among pregnant women by 50 per cent by 2030.”
