Half of under-five mortality rate caused by micronutrient deficiencies – Expert

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Nearly half of all under-five mortality rate is caused by underlying maternal and child undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies

 The State Team Lead of Alive and Thrive, Sarah Didi Kwasu, asserted this in her presentation during a  1 Day sensitization meeting held in Kaduna.

The meeting was attended by  Ward Development Committee Chairmen ( WDCs), ALGON representatives, and Nutrition Focal Person (NFP) for buy-in and support Multiple Micronutrients Supplement (MMS) logistics and supply to last mile was organized by State Primary Healthcare Board  (SPHCB), with support from Alive and Thrive held in Kaduna.

Kwasu disclosed that looking at the worrisome data of the mortality rates her high prevalence of anemia in women of reproductive age and pregnant women in Nigeria is widely recognized as an important public health problem because of its negative consequences for pregnancy outcome and its impact on maternal mortality

According to her, in addition to anemia, deficiencies such as vitamin A, zinc, vitamin BI, iodine, and folate are also widespread in Nigeria and hurt pregnancy outcomes.

She expressed dismay that improvements in the natural diet and behavioral change are difficult to achieve over a short period for populations in resource-constrained countries.

 Kwasu, therefore, observed that combining all micronutrients in a multi-supplement and delivery of a multiple micronutrient supplement to women in targeted groups is more programmatically feasible and should be embraced.

She explained that MMS is a once-a-day pill of critical micronutrients containing between 13-15 essential vitamins and minerals for pregnant and nursing women, meeting micronutrient requirements that poor diets cannot meet.

She noted that MMS is a safe, efficacious, affordable, and cost-effective intervention to improve maternal nutrition.

According to her, babies born to mothers suffering from undernutrition and anemia are more likely to be born with low birth weight, increasing their chances of developmental delays.

“Making MMS available to all women in Nigeria can act as a social equalizer by offering all pregnant women the same standard of care.

“Diets of women in developing countries are lacking in a wide variety of micronutrients, with the potential to endanger the pregnancy process and outcome”, she said.

Kwasu, therefore, emphasized the role of Ward Development Committee chairmen in supporting Primary Health Care revitalization, engaging community leaders to monitor pregnant women, and advocating for dedicated funding for logistics to bring MMS to health facilities.

She said they are expected to visit PHCs to ensure there is no stockout of vital medicines, including MMS, and encourage proper documentation of MMS utilization at the facility level for decision-making.

“WDCs are also expected to support PHC revitalization in their LGAs, ensuring they are fully operational with required staff, infrastructure, and supplies, including provision of MMS”, she said.

Also, the Quality Assurance Officer for the Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan, Jibril Isa noted that the engagement was to ensure that all the nutrition services they are doing in Kaduna state have the support of the community.

This, he said was why they are engaging the representatives of the community.

Isa said the WDCs would ensure that they support their logistics supply to the last mile distributions.

He noted that WDCs would also ensure that the issue of mobilizing the community to ensure the distribution of MMS is available at the health facilities.

He said: “They are to mobilize the community and sensitize them, saying to ensure the facilities are providing the quality of services.

“They are looking at whether the facility is providing the services or not. That is the essence of inviting the WDC”.

He advised the NFPs to be accountable for anything they have distributed.”Let them show the WDCs what they have distributed to the health facilities and also the WDCs, let them know this is what we have in the community and they understand it,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of WDCs in Kaduna state, Alhaji Balarabe Idris Jaji, explained that the WDCs have a presence of members in all the political wards to ensure the health and education sector at the levels are keeping up with their responsibilities.

Jaji said the WDCs bring information from the communities to the hospitals or schools to bring about change in unwanted situations or happenings and vice versa.

He added that the WDCs also take information from communities to the government and vice versa to bring about change in a situation or happenings.

He urged the WDC members to avoid pork-nosing into what they were not asked to do.

He restated their commitment to doing the right thing for the benefit of the people and the government.

Not left  out, the ALGON Desk Officer,  Emmanuel Anche from the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,  opined  that the MLGCA is concerned with interventions that affect the well-being of women and children.

He declared commitment  to the MLGCA providing support to the WDC to effectively support health and nutrition intervention in the LGAs and ensure that there is increased funding for nutrition at the LGAs.