ASHENEWS reports that a civil society organisation (CSO) has stressed the need for the media to support the scale-up of multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) to help Nigeria tackle its already grim maternal mortality figures.
The Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition In Nigeria (CS-SUNN) stated this during training for selected journalists on improving the scale-up of MMS in Nigeria.
The training held in Abuja comes as Nigeria braces for a transition from Iron and Folic Acid Supplements (IFAs) to MMS.
The experts tasked journalists with promoting advocacy for the uptake of MMS and also drew the government’s attention to enhancing efforts towards improving nutrition, especially among pregnant women.
The Communications Officer at CS-SUNN, Mrs. Lilian Okafor said that the training seeks to empower journalists to report effectively on the benefits of MMS.
The Communications Officer, who described the media’s role in helping stakeholders in the nutrition cycle achieve the uptake of the innovation as vital said that the training provides an avenue for journalists to understand the importance of MMS on women and adolescent girls in Nigeria.
“We want to improve the capacity of media for effective reporting on anemia and its consequences on women and girls.
“Most importantly, we want to secure your commitments to write stories about nutrition that will promote the uptake and improve interventions around MMS,” she told journalists.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, CS-SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo noted that urgent action is needed to address the devastating effect of hunger on the lives of many Nigerians.
“We stand at the crossroads of an urgent and collective challenge to reduction of anemia, a hidden hunger that affects millions, particularly women and children, across our vibrant nation.
“Anemia’s impact on health, cognitive development, and overall productivity is a barrier we must dismantle for the prosperity and well-being of our communities.”
The CS-SUNN ES, who described the media as a critical stakeholder in shaping public discourse stressed the importance of informed advocacy in driving public awareness.
“It is an invitation to each of you to join hands in a concerted effort to amplify the message that the fight against anemia is winnable, and the scale-up of MMS is a scientifically proven strategy we must embrace.
“CS-SUNN, through this initiative, aims to empower you, our esteemed media professionals, with the knowledge, tools, and resources to effectively communicate the importance of MMS and nutrition interventions. Your voices will echo in homes, policy chambers, and health institutions, igniting action and fostering accountability.”
This online platform repeats that the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s comprehensive antenatal care (ANC) guidelines recommend the use of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements during pregnancy to improve the health of women.
As a backing, the WHO had in 2021 included multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in its Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) as an antenatal supplement for pregnant women.
