The Projects Director of the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Dr. Stanley Ukpai, has called on key healthcare stakeholders to show the political will needed to transition from Iron Folic Acid (IFA) to Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in Nigeria.
Ukpai made the call during a high-level panel discussion titled “Moving Research to Market: Scaling Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for Maternal Health Impact in Nigeria,” organised by dRPC in partnership with Sight and Life in Abuja.
He described the transition from IFA to MMS as a critical intervention in addressing the high prevalence of anemia among pregnant women, stressing that MMS provides a broader range of essential micronutrients required during pregnancy, thereby reducing maternal and infant mortality.
“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,” Ukpai said.
He noted that global best practice supports a gradual transition from IFA to MMS, adding that many countries have already adopted the shift, while Nigeria has made notable progress in that direction.
Also speaking at the event, President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Professor Salisu Abubakar, said MMS enjoys high acceptability among pregnant women and projected that by 2029, about 70 per cent of expectant mothers could access MMS through antenatal care.
Abubakar explained that while iron folic acid contains only two micronutrients, MMS offers broader nutritional benefits, with evidence showing improved outcomes for both anemia management and childbirth.
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