The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving maternal, newborn, child, adolescent and nutrition healthcare through the ongoing Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week across the state.
Eko Hot News reports that the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, described the programme as a strategic platform for delivering quality healthcare services to mothers, children, adolescents and families.
She said the week-long campaign is designed to increase access to free healthcare while encouraging residents to adopt healthy lifestyles through preventive and essential medical services.
According to the First Lady, beneficiaries will receive free Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, family planning services, antenatal and postnatal care, routine immunisation, nutrition counselling, growth monitoring, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, as well as health education.
She urged residents to take advantage of the free services by visiting designated health facilities and outreach centres across Lagos State.
The First Lady also expressed concern over the growing prevalence of social challenges affecting families and adolescents, calling on residents to support efforts aimed at protecting vulnerable members of society.
She encouraged members of the public to report cases of domestic and sexual abuse through the Lagos State toll-free line, 08000333333, stressing that the government remains committed to safeguarding residents and supporting those in need.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu further advised pregnant women to seek care only from qualified healthcare professionals and accredited health facilities.
She warned that patronising unqualified birth attendants could expose mothers and babies to avoidable health complications, urging community leaders, relevant agencies and professional bodies to strengthen awareness and monitoring.
Highlighting previous achievements, the First Lady disclosed that more than 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements during the last round of the programme.
She also revealed that over 4.36 million children benefited from deworming exercises, while more than 17,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal healthcare services.
According to her, over 216,900 women and men also benefited from family planning services during the previous campaign.
She expressed confidence that even more residents would benefit this year, noting that healthcare workers had received adequate training to ensure effective service delivery.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of Lagos State’s most successful public health initiatives.
She explained that the programme was first developed by Lagos State before being adopted nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.
Dr. Ogunyemi said the campaign focuses on children under five years, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services are also available for men.
She listed the services to include routine immunisation, nutrition screening, micronutrient supplementation, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, family planning, antenatal care, postnatal care and health education.
The Special Adviser encouraged parents and caregivers who had missed routine healthcare appointments to take advantage of the outreach programme to access free services.
She also appreciated development partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals, for supporting the initiative.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, urged residents to become advocates for healthy living by encouraging family members, neighbours and friends to patronise government health facilities.
She commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approving the implementation of the programme and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery.
The Executive Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Otunba Kehinde Almaroof-Oluyede, said the council continues to invest in primary healthcare infrastructure and community health services.
He cited the ongoing construction of the Ogunlana Primary Health Centre and the rehabilitation of the Ogunoloko Primary Health Centre as part of efforts to improve access to quality healthcare.
UNICEF Lagos Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere, praised the Lagos State Government for sustaining investments in maternal and child health.
She disclosed that UNICEF is supporting the current campaign with Vitamin A capsules, micronutrient supplements and community mobilisation to improve outreach across the state.
Lafoucriere encouraged the state to maintain the momentum by ensuring a successful second round of the programme before the end of November.
Also speaking, the Senior Nutrition Specialist at the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research Nigeria (CCCRN), Babatunde Lawani, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting community health initiatives.
The Head of Sales at Agrim Pharmaceutical Healthcare Industry, Obayomi Olusegun, also pledged the company’s continued support through the provision of healthcare products for the campaign.
The flag-off ceremony attracted government officials, traditional rulers, healthcare professionals, development partners, community leaders and residents, all of whom pledged continued collaboration to improve maternal and child health, strengthen nutrition and expand access to quality healthcare across Lagos State.
