Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
From immunisation and Vitamin A supplements to antenatal care and nutrition support, thousands of families across the Federal Capital Territory are set to access free lifesaving healthcare services as the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week kicks off on June 3.
The five-day campaign, themed “Opening Care for Mother and Child,” will run from June 3 to June 7 and is expected to reach 1,497,665 children across the FCT.
Organised by the FCT Primary Health Care Board in collaboration with development partners, the initiative is designed to improve access to essential healthcare services for mothers, newborns and children while reducing preventable illnesses and deaths.
Speaking during a media orientation in Abuja, Dr. Okwuli Nicholas, representing the Mandate secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat and the Executive Secretary FCT Primary Health Care Board, described the programme as one of the territory’s most important public health interventions.
He said families would receive a comprehensive package of free services, including routine immunisation, Vitamin A supplementation for children aged six to 59 months, deworming for children aged 12 to 59 months, nutrition screening, breastfeeding counselling, family planning services, antenatal and postnatal care, and malaria prevention for pregnant women.
Pregnant women will also receive Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) containing essential vitamins and minerals that help prevent anaemia, improve maternal nutrition and support healthy pregnancies.
“These are proven, life-saving interventions. Our goal is to ensure that no mother or child is left behind in accessing quality healthcare services,” Dr. Nicholas said.
To maximise coverage, services will be provided at Primary Health Care Centres, government hospitals, selected private hospitals, schools, markets, places of worship and designated outreach points across the six area councils of the FCT.
Mobile health teams will also be deployed to remote and underserved communities to ensure hard-to-reach populations are not excluded.
Stressing that special attention will be given to zero-dose children those who have never received routine vaccines as well as children who have missed scheduled immunisation appointments.
A component of the campaign is the administration of Vitamin A supplements, a proven intervention that strengthens immunity, supports healthy vision and reduces the risk of severe childhood illnesses.
FCT State Nutrition Officer, Chinyere Ekwueme,urged parents to come with their children’s health cards, and children without cards will still be attended to and issued new ones where necessary.
She added that families will also benefit from oral rehydration therapy demonstrations, birth registration services, routine immunisation, tetanus-diphtheria vaccination for pregnant women and HPV vaccination for nine-year-old girls.
Meanwhile, development partner, Hellen Keller International, reaffirmed its commitment to improving child nutrition in the FCT and five other states.
The organisation said funding support from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is helping to ensure that Vitamin A supplements reach every eligible child, including those in remote communities.
Nigeria continues to face significant maternal and child health challenges, with malnutrition, vaccine-preventable diseases and limited access to healthcare contributing to deaths among mothers and children.
Health experts say the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week provides a critical opportunity for families to access essential services at no cost, helping to improve child survival, maternal health and overall community well-being.
As the campaign begins, health authorities are urging parents, caregivers and pregnant women to take advantage of the free services between June 3 and June 7.
Their message is simple: every child vaccinated, every mother supported, and every family reached is a step closer to a healthier FCT.