UNICEF Supports Bauchi Gov’t With 134,280 MMS Bottles
UNICEF Bauchi Field Office’s Nutrition Specialist, Mrs Philomena Irene speaking at the MMS Scale-Up Inception Meeting in Bauchi
By Murtala Muhammad
United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF has supported Bauchi State Government with one hundred and thirty four thousand, two hundred and eighty bottles of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS).
The MMS, a supplement which contains vitamins A, C, D, E and K as well as nutrients, such as Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium among others, helps pregnant and lactating mothers to prevent low blood count also known as Anaemia.
The Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Mrs Philomena Irene who gave the figure at a One-day Inception Meeting of Scale Up of MMS, assured that as the project implementation continues, more of such intervention would be channeled to the state.
Mrs Irene said the initiative was expected to strengthen the ante-natal platforms towards delivering high impact maternal nutrition interventions in the state.
According to her, National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2018 shows that only 23 percent of the three hundred and eighty one thousand, three hundred and sixty four pregnant women in Bauchi state receive iron and folic acid.
The Nutrition Specialist acknowledged that the supplement was crucial in reducing the risk of low birth weight, maternal anaemia, and iron deficiency.
Speaking, the State Commissioner of Health Dr Adamu Sambo emphasized that leaders and stakeholders have a duty to prioritize maternal and child health, invest in healthcare infrastructure, strengthen health systems, and ensure that no mother, newborn, or child is left behind.
He re-assured to sustain partnership with Implementing Partners towards improving maternal and child survival.
Radio Nigeria reports that the Inception Meeting was organized by the Bauchi State Government in collaboration with UNICEF as well as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) funded Fhi360 Alive & Thrive Project in Bauchi.
