Expectant mothers in Blantyre to be receiving new antenatal supplement that provides close to 15 micronutrients

The MMS was unveiled at an orientation workshop with these frontline staff comprising nurses, pharmacists and facility heads.—Picture by Memory Kutengule Chatonda, MANA

* The new supplement provides a broader nutritional support to both mothers and unborn babies, unlike current Iron Folic Acid (IFA) they have been receiving

* “It’s good for expectant mothers to improve maternal nutrition and pregnancy outcomes”—Safe Motherhood Coordinator, Ellida Bvutula

By Memory Kutengule Chatonda, MANA

Effective yesterday, April 5, expectant mothers in Blantyre will transition from receiving iron folic acid (IFA) supplements to new multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) during antenatal visits to various health facilities.

This was announced by Safe Motherhood Coordinator for Blantyre District Health Office, Ellida Bvutula during a recent orientation workshop on MMS with frontline staff comprising nurses, pharmacists, and facility heads.

Bvutula — who is also nursing officer at Blantyre DHO — explained that the development follows a study and recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the new supplement provides a broader nutritional support to both mothers and unborn babies, unlike IFA.

“MMS, which is an antenatal supplement, provides close to 15 micronutrients, including iron and folic acid — all combined in a single tablet,” she said. “The single tablet is consumed every day throughout the pregnancy period.

“This is good for pregnant women to improve maternal nutrition and pregnancy outcomes,” she said, adding that  there was is strong evidence that the new supplement has less side effects on expectant mothers — including those with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and a history of miscarriage.

“We expect that soon after the training sessions, we should start administering the new supplement from Monday, May 5,” Bvutula said.

Ruth Hara, Blantyre District Council’s principal nutrition and HIV & Aids officer, added credence that micronutrient levels in MMS are within recommended levels, saying is has presence of zinc and vitamins (B1), which improves appetite for expectant mothers.

The DHO has so far trained about 700 frontline health workers to understand the new supplement and also disseminate accurate information during antenatal sessions in their respective health facilities.

Nursing officer for Zingwangwa Health Centre, Pauline Tonde hailed Blantyre DHO for organising MMS orientation, saying the new supplement is beneficial to expectant women.

She pledged to engage health centre-based social behavioural change team at Zingwangwa to disseminate MMS messages through drama, poems and songs to expectant mothers during antenatal clinics.

Twenty years of evidence-based research in middle-income countries demonstrated that MMS reduces low birth weight by 19%, infant mortality by 29%, and preterm birth by 16% compared to IFA.