Some nutrition experts have urged the Federal Government to commit to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) to ensure access to the Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in the country.
The experts made this known in separate interviews at the end of a five-day stakeholders strategic advocacy meeting on nutrition in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Communications Officer, Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Mrs Lilian Okafor, described the CNF as a proven solution to combat malnutrition in the country.
She emphasised CNF’s potency as a UNICEF-backed funding mechanism, matching state governments’ contributions to tackle malnutrition head-on.
She added that “this critical fund ensures pregnant women access to Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS), a proven solution to Nigeria’s staggering malnutrition rates.”
Okafor, who applauded states that have keyed into the initiative for response to malnutrition especially in pregnancy, urged Federal Government to also key into the initiative to ensure access and availability of MMS in public health facilities across the country.
“This will enable government to come up with some form of counterpart funding to fund the purchase, sale and distribution of MMS.
“So, we encourage government to key into the CNF to ensure availability of MMS across the health facilities in Nigeria,” she added.
The State Nutrition Officer in Niger, Asamau Mohammed, said the state is one of the few that have already keyed into the CNF initiative and already reaping its benefits, among which, is the improvement of wellbeing of pregnant women.
She appealed to the Federal Government to do the same, especially to support states that had yet to subscribe to the initiative.
The. State Nutrition Officer in Osun, Mrs Rashidat Popoola said that the state keying into the CNF would go a long way to promote nutrition programmes in Osun, and impact the people positively, especially young children and pregnant women.
She also appealed to the Federal Government to key into the CNF to access the fund, procure and make the MMS available in public health facilities so as to reduce health challenges during pregnancy and childbirth.
The Deputy Director, Nutrition Department, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Orume Beatrice described the CNF as an important funding mechanism that would provide funds for the Federal Government to procure essential nutrition commodities like MMS for pregnant women and unborn children.
She appreciated the call of nutrition stakeholders on the need for government to key into the CNF and assured that the Federal Government would look into the project request.
The five days meeting was organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in collaboration with CS-SUNN and other key nutrition partners with focus on crafting a comprehensive national advocacy strategy to tackle the country’s nutrition challenges.
The meeting, held from Aug. 20 to Aug. 24, sought to strengthen evidence-based nutrition advocacy, integrate key interventions like MMS and unify efforts toward addressing the country’s burden of malnutrition, undernutrition, overnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.
The Federal Government recently approved the transition from Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) to MMS, a move expected to drastically improve maternal and child health outcomes across Nigeria.
Meanwhile, it is expected that every woman takes the MMS tablet once daily for 180 days during pregnancy.
NAN
