By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ending anaemia in Nigeria by 2030, calling for stronger and coordinated action to tackle its high prevalence among women and children.
The government, Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) and nutrition experts made the call Monday in Abuja at a bi-annual press briefing on the state of anaemia in Nigeria.
The Director of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Adegbite Olufunmilola, described anaemia as a devastating public health crisis, noting that its prevalence among pregnant women remains above 50 per cent.
Adegbite said many cases were preventable, urging stakeholders to scale up proven interventions, particularly multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) for pregnant women.
She said MMS, alongside iron and folic acid supplementation, could help prevent anaemia and improve pregnancy outcomes, urging more states to adopt and fund MMS programmes.
Representing the Executive Secretary of CS-SUNN, Mr. Sunday Okoronkwo, the Programme Manager, Mr. Ridwan Awosanya, said findings from a recent study showed that women were willing to use MMS when the supplements were made available and properly delivered.
Awosanya said 92.1 per cent of respondents expressed willingness to take the supplements, stressing the need for stronger government financing, improved supply-chain management, counselling, trained health workers and effective monitoring.
He urged stakeholders to move from evidence to action by strengthening the implementation of existing nutrition policies and ensuring anaemia-prevention interventions reach women and children at community and health-facility levels.
The National Coordinator, Academic and Research Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (ARN-SUNN), Prof. Kola Matthew Anigo, said 16 of the 21 states assessed had expressed interest in contributing to the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) through UNICEF to support MMS procurement.
Anigo said the development was encouraging but stressed the need for increased government funding to guarantee pregnant women access to the supplements.
He noted that MMS had been integrated into antenatal care under Nigeria’s national nutrition policy, making access to the intervention important for pregnant women attending healthcare facilities.
Also, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Chidiana Yunana, described anaemia as a major public health and development challenge with consequences for health, education, productivity and economic growth.
She said the government was strengthening nutrition interventions through the revised National Policy on Food and Nutrition 2026–2035 and the National Action Plan on Food and Nutrition 2026–2030.
Yunana called for sustained financing, stronger coordination, effective implementation and accountability, while urging the media to report nutrition statistics accurately.
Similarly, the Chairman, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Major Edith Ogheneovo Nwachinaemere, called for urgent measures to reduce anaemia among adolescent girls, pregnant women and young children.
She advocated sustainable nutrition financing, improved access to health and nutrition services, diversified diets and expanded micronutrient interventions.
Nwachinaemere also urged the media to give greater prominence to nutrition issues, stressing that accurate reporting could shape public understanding, influence policy and promote accountability.
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