Dr. Stanley Ukpai, Projects Director of the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC), has urged the major stakeholders in the health sector to be politically committed to switching from Iron Folic Acid (IFA) to Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in Nigeria.
He appealed at an expert panel session, named “Moving Research to Market: Scaling Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for Maternal Health Impact in Nigeria,” which was organized by DRPC in collaboration with Sight and Life in Abuja.
Ukpai noted that the call for a shift from IFA to MMS provides a vital strategy for tackling the high rates of anemia among pregnant women, emphasizing that MMS offers a wider range of essential micronutrients needed during pregnancy and, as a result, helps lower maternal and infant mortality rates.
According to Ukpai, “Women are still anemic in pregnancy, and MMS is critical to tackling these challenges. Nigeria still faces a substantial maternal nutrition burden, with millions of women experiencing anemia in pregnancy despite the availability of an effective solution.”
He observed that a phased shift from IFA to MMS is internationally recommended, noting that many countries have already completed the switch, while Nigeria is making significant efforts to adopt it.
Abubakar further explained that, unlike iron folic acid, which contains only two micronutrients, MMS provides a wider range of nutritional benefits, with evidence indicating better outcomes in controlling anemia and childbearing.