More than half of pregnant women in Nigeria are affected by anaemia, as nutrition stakeholders call for increased funding, wider access to supplements and stronger public awareness to tackle the country’s persistent nutrition crisis.
The Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, says the media and other stakeholders must do more to keep anaemia high on the national health agenda.
Speaking at the bi-annual press briefing on the anaemia situation in Nigeria, Communication and Campaign Manager of CS-SUNN, Peter Olushola, said anaemia cannot be addressed through medical treatment alone, as the condition is closely linked to poor nutrition, food insecurity, infections, maternal health and access to quality healthcare.
He called for sustained public education to help Nigerians understand the causes and symptoms of anaemia and adopt healthier dietary and healthcare practices.
In her remarks, the Director of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Adegbite Olufunmi, said the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women remains above 50 per cent, according to recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey findings.
She described the situation as a preventable crisis and urged stronger interventions to reach every woman.
Olufunmi said the Federal Government is scaling up Multiple Micronutrient Supplements, MMS, alongside iron and folic acid, to improve pregnancy outcomes.
She disclosed that about 10 states out of the 37 states and the Federal Capital Territory have so far keyed into the MMS initiative, stressing that more states need to join.
Presenting the technical findings of a new formative research study titled “Formative Study to Examine Baseline for Anaemia Funding Commitment Through the Child Nutrition Fund and Level of Multiple Micronutrient Supplement Uptake Across CS-SUNN Focus and UNICEF Supported States, the National Coordinator, Academic and Research, Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria Professor Kola Matthew Anigo,, said there is strong acceptance of MMS among pregnant women.
According to him, 92 per cent of women who participated in a study said they were willing to take MMS if made available.
He said the study also found funding and supply challenges, including cases of MMS stock-outs at health facilities.
Anigo disclosed that 16 out of 21 states visited indicated contributions to the Child Nutrition Fund, which supports domestic financing for the procurement of MMS.
He explained that MMS contains about 15 different micronutrients, compared with the two micronutrients in iron and folic acid supplements.
Anigo said anaemia is not caused by iron deficiency alone, noting that poor diets, food insecurity and infections can also contribute.
He said Nigeria’s MMS implementation roadmap runs until 2030, with states expected to develop costed plans covering procurement, demand generation and community engagement.
Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning also called for sustained investment in nutrition, warning that poor nutrition can affect health, learning, productivity and economic development.
Stakeholders at the event say tackling anaemia will require a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, backed by funding, accountability, reliable supply of supplements and effective implementation at the grassroots.