LAGOS FLAGS OFF MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH, NUTRITION WEEK, REACHES FOR ZERO CHILD, MATERNAL DEATHS

A renewed commitment to maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health was declared on Monday, June 23, 2025, as the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu officially flagged off the first round of the bi-annual Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition Week (MNCH+N) in Lagos State at the Alimosho Local Government Area Secretariat.

Addressing a large audience of healthcare workers, traditional leaders, community stakeholders, and development partners, Dr. (Mrs.) Sanwo-Olu highlighted the significance of the MNCH+N Week as a critical intervention that empowers citizens with access to cost-effective, high-impact healthcare services that can transform health indices and save lives.

The First Lady, who was represented at the event by the wife of the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, expressed gratitude to the people of Alimosho for hosting the State flag-off event, reiterating Lagos’ pioneering role in the MNCH+N Week which has now become a national programme since its inception in the state in 2010.

She stated that the current under-five, infant and maternal mortality rates still indicate that concerted efforts of all stakeholders are still required for further reduction of these rates to reach global health targets. She explained that the week-long campaign will deliver a wide range of services, including vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring, free antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, counselling on home care, screening for malnutrition, as well as information and referral support for sexual and domestic violence cases.

Dr. Sanwo-Olu strongly condemned the rising cases of quackery in maternal health services, urging citizens to avoid unregistered birth attendants and instead utilise services from licensed healthcare professionals or those registered under the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board.

“Our communities must rise to report illegal practices that put the lives of our women and children in danger,” she said, while also acknowledging the support of local government chairmen and partners like UNICEF in implementing the program. She concluded with an official declaration of the MNCH+N Week open, calling on Lagosians to visit the designated centres to benefit from the life-saving services.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, described the flag-off as symbolic and strategic, especially being hosted in Alimosho, the largest LGA in Lagos. She said Alimosho’s performance would significantly determine the state’s overall success in the week-long outreach.

She noted that the MNCH+N Week has historically improved health-seeking behaviour among residents while enhancing the state’s maternal and child health indices. She, however, stressed that current mortality rates still demand intensified action from all stakeholders.

Dr. Ogunyemi commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his administration’s drive to reach every woman and child with essential healthcare, and encouraged families to also register for Ilera Eko – the state’s social health insurance scheme – to ensure continued access to quality care beyond the intervention week.

Speaking in the same vein, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye called on parents and caregivers across the state to take full advantage of the ongoing Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (MNCH+N) Week to access free, life-saving health services for their children and families.

Dr. Ogboye announced that the statewide outreach, which runs from Monday, 23rd to Friday, 27th June 2025, will be conducted daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at all public primary health centres and designated sites. He emphasised that the programme targets under-five children, pregnant women, and adolescents with a wide range of essential health and nutrition interventions.

He urged parents whose children are yet to be immunised or who have missed out on Vitamin A supplementation to seize the opportunity provided during the week. Dr. Ogboye also highlighted the availability of the HPV vaccine and child nutrition supplements as part of the intervention package, encouraging parents to not only bring their children but also mobilise others in their communities to benefit from the programme.

In her goodwill message, Nemat Hajeebhoy, Chief of Nutrition for UNICEF Nigeria, applauded the Lagos State Government and the First Lady for sustaining the MNCH+N campaign. She described the week as a platform to deliver essential, preventive, and curative services to millions of women and children.

According to her, the impact of previous rounds has been commendable, with close to six million children receiving vitamin A supplements and three million dewormed during the two rounds of 2024. She called for continued momentum to surpass those figures in 2025.

Hajeebhoy also introduced the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), a financing mechanism that allows states to double their investment in critical nutrition commodities. She expressed optimism that Lagos would join other states like Oyo, Jigawa, and Kaduna in leveraging the CNF to address malnutrition and strengthen nutrition systems.

She pledged UNICEF’s unwavering support to Lagos State and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to ensuring every Nigerian child has access to the nutrition and health care they deserve.

In his address, the Chairman of Alimosho Local Government, Hon. Jelili Sulaimon, expressed delight that his LGA was chosen to host the flag-off ceremony. The Chairman, who was represented by his vice, Hon. Akinpelu Johnson, described the initiative as timely and necessary, stressing that good health is foundational to productivity, economic stability, and personal development.

Sulaimon reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising healthcare, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children. He used the occasion to also inaugurate the newly constructed Administrative Building at the council secretariat, which he said will improve the working conditions for council staff.