UNICEF, in collaboration with the Imo State Government and with support from the Gates Foundation, has initiated efforts to strengthen maternal and child nutrition.
The organisation’s Chief of the Enugu Field Office, Juliet Chiluwe, disclosed this during Thursday’s meeting of the state Ministry of Health, the Imo Primary Healthcare Development Agency, and UNICEF in Owerri.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was convened to review and validate the nutrition Social Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy for Imo and the integration of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women.
Mrs Chiluwe commended the Imo State Government for its commitment to investing in human capital, health and sustainable development.
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She assured that UNICEF, with support from the Gates Foundation, would continue to advance the nutrition agenda.
She described MMS as a “cost-effective intervention that helps reduce anaemia, low birth weight, stillbirths, and other adverse maternal and child health outcomes”.
Mrs Chiluwe called for strong government ownership, coordinated implementation, and increased domestic investment.
“We encourage greater state investment in the Child Nutrition Fund to support the procurement of MMS and other essential nutrition commodities.
“This will strengthen sustainability, unlock additional partner support, and ensure continued access to life-saving nutrition interventions for women and children,” she said.
The Commissioner for Health in Imo, Chioma Egu, said SBC was designed to help individuals and families make healthier nutrition choices from pregnancy and infancy to childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
Ms Egu also said that the strategy promotes good nutrition practices, such as proper maternal nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation, healthy eating habits, hygiene, and timely utilisation of health services.
She commended healthcare workers and community volunteers in the state for their dedication and tireless efforts in advancing nutrition programming and service delivery.
She called for the holistic implementation of the meeting’s outcome.
“By integrating MMS into our SBC framework, we are ensuring that pregnant women across Imo, in both rural and urban communities, not only have access to these essential supplements but also understand their importance and are empowered to utilise them appropriately.
“When a pregnant woman in a rural community receives MMS, she is not just taking a supplement – she is taking a step toward a healthier pregnancy, a stronger baby, and a brighter future for her family,” Ms Egu said.
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Also, the Imo Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Anslem Anyanwu, said that the state government was committed to sustaining the programme through relevant policies, increased ownership, resource mobilisation, and creation of an enabling environment.
Mr Anyanwu thanked UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and all the stakeholders and partners, whose technical and financial contributions, he said, continued to advance the nutrition agenda in the state.
NAN further reports that the meeting was attended by the permanent secretaries of relevant government ministries, civil society organisations, and representatives of academic institutions, among others.
