UNICEF and Kano State Government Join Forces to Combat Anaemia in Pregnancy

In a bold move to tackle anaemia in pregnancy, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Kano State government have expressed their commitment and readiness to tackle the issue in the state. The joint effort aims to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce the mortality rate among pregnant women and children under the age of five.

During a two-day stakeholders’ inception meeting on the scale-up of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in Kano state, UNICEF commended Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, for approving the immediate release of N500 million to procure Ready To Use Therapeutic Foods for the management of severe acute malnutrition among children under the age of five years. In response, UNICEF has pledged to release a matching grant of N500 million through the Child Nutritional Fund.

Oluniyi Oyedokun, UNICEF Kano Field Office Nutrition Specialist, described MMS as an essential and effective intervention for anaemia reduction and improved pregnancy outcomes globally. He emphasized the importance of policymakers releasing funds for the procurement of MMS to save the lives of pregnant women and generations to come.

The MMS scale-up project in Kano state is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with only five states in Nigeria, including Kano, currently benefiting from the project. The project aims to create an enabling environment for MMS acceptability and intervention, and to identify the needed roles government and policymakers should play in preventing anaemia among pregnant women.

Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Labaran Yusuf, who was represented by the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Shehu Shehu, thanked UNICEF and other partners for their prompt intervention in Kano state, particularly on primary healthcare for children and pregnant women. He stressed the importance of planning effectively to overcome the challenges of anaemia and malnutrition in the state.

The Director-General of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr. Muhammad Mahmood, expressed confidence that effective MMS intervention will improve the reduction in mortality rate among pregnant women. He commended UNICEF and other development partners for their resilience in ensuring that Kano state benefits substantially from the MMS intervention.

The meeting aimed to share the concept and deliverable of the BMGF-funded MMS scale-up project to state-level stakeholders in Kano state, outlining and agreeing on the roles and responsibilities of partners, identifying an enabling environment for leveraging government resources for procurement of MMS, and developing a work-plan and agreeing on modalities of implementation.

Dr. Imam Wada Bello, in his presentation entitled “Nutrition Landscape Situation In Kano,” lamented the severe acute malnutrition rate among pregnant women and under-five children in Kano state. He emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and questioned where the nourished milk would come from if the nursing mother is anaemic.

The joint effort by UNICEF and the Kano State government is a significant step towards addressing anaemia in pregnancy and improving the health outcomes of pregnant women and children in the state.