Strengthen Antenatal Care platforms to deliver on MMS outcomes for optimal nutrition: CS-SUNN
Civil Society – Scaling up Nutrition in Nigeria, CS-SUNN, wants government at all levels, civil society organizations, business community, and individuals to prioritize investing in women to foster empowerment, and access to optimal nutrition.
The Executive Secretary, CS-SUNN, Sunday Okoronkwo, made the call in a statement to this year’s occasion of International Women’s Day.
In line with the theme, “Invest in Women, and accelerate Progress for optimal nutritional outcomes”. and going by NDHS 2018, UNICEF estimates) that, 4.5 million (58%) of an estimated 7.8 million pregnant women in Nigeria are anaemic.
According to report, ” Nigeria has the third highest maternal mortality ratio (512 / 100,000) translating to 225 deaths per
day with Post Partum Haemorrhage being a key cause. (NDHS 2018, UNICEF estimates)
1 in every 10 women in the world lives in extreme poverty (UN Women)
The report also says, ” At prime working age, only 61 per cent of women are in the labour force versus 90 per cent of men”. (UN Women).
Mr Sunday Okonwko, said, and I quote, ” Nigeria cannot continue to miss out on Nutrition and gender-equality dividends, ending gender inequality and empowering women will enhance priority interventions for improved food and nutrition security outcomes” .
” The role of women is critical in attaining each of the pillars of food security availability, access, and utilization and throughout the agricultural value chain. Also, leveraging the Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) at scale to strengthen Antenatal Care platforms across Primary Health Care centres will deliver high impact maternal nutrition interventions for Nigeria, adding that, ” it will reduce anaemia among pregnant women to 40% by 2025 (according to the National Multisectoral Plan of action for Food and Nutrition) and reduce anaemia among pregnant women by 50% by 2030 (SDGs 2030) “. Okonwko
He said, recently, CS-SUNN supported the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to put together and validate the National Guideline on Women and Girl’s empowerment for optimal nutrition – A roadmap designed to create a convergence of different interventions across sectors/policies addressing specifically the empowerment needs of women and girls to enhance their access to optimal nutrition to be adopted by policymakers, stakeholders, including government, civil society and private sectors/corporate implementers, academia, and development partners, all of whom are involved in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating women and girls empowerment programmes at the national, state, and community levels.
” We therefore, call for the domestication of this guideline in the states and its full implementation and funding to promote women and girls’ empowerment to achieve optimal nutrition outcomes in Nigeria through a multi sectoral approach ” he stressed
Mr Nwankwo, called for the implementation of 6 months maternity leave with pay for working women by the government, states and organizations who are yet to, as supporting breastfeeding in the workplace has significant human and economic benefits, pointing out that establishing breastfeeding corners in workplaces to facilitate nursing mothers’ by organizations will encourage access to a private and comfortable space for breastfeeding or milk expression.
By creating breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, he says, ” will promote women’s participation in the workforce while supporting their ability to provide optimal nutrition for their infants.
Beyond these, ” more investments are needed to promote women’s access to income-generating activities and financial services as key drivers of economic empowerment and poverty alleviation, noting that, by empowering women economically, they will be able to support themselves, their families, and their communities, thereby contributing to sustainable development and social progress” Okonwko.
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