By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has flagged off the second round of the 2025 Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week, reaffirming its commitment to improving survival, nutrition and wellbeing outcomes for women, children and adolescents across the state.
The flag-off ceremony, held on Saturday at the Mushin Local Government Secretariat, marked the commencement of a five-day statewide outreach delivering free, high-impact and cost-effective primary healthcare services. The event brought together government officials, traditional and community leaders, development partners and frontline health workers.
Flagging off the programme, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of the state’s most impactful public health interventions, noting that it originated in Lagos before being adopted nationally in 2010.
She said the initiative provides residents, particularly pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and adolescents, with access to free essential health services while promoting positive health-seeking behaviour across communities.
Despite Lagos’ large population and high migration rate, Dr. Sanwo-Olu noted that the state has recorded steady improvements in maternal and child health indicators. She disclosed that Lagos currently has an under-five mortality rate of 36 per 1,000 live births, neonatal mortality of 25 per 1,000 live births and infant mortality of 46 per 1,000 live births, while maternal mortality declined from 555 per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 430 per 100,000 in 2022.
She stressed the critical role of nutrition in child survival, revealing that Lagos is fully committed to UNICEF’s Nutrition Match Funding Initiative. Through the programme, a $100,000 state contribution was leveraged to procure nutrition commodities worth $200,000 for vulnerable children.
Available services during the MNCAH+N Week include Vitamin A supplementation for children aged 6–59 months, multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, free malaria screening and treatment, family planning services, adolescent health interventions and counselling on healthy lifestyles.
The First Lady also warned against the patronage of unregistered health facilities and birth attendants, urging community leaders to report offenders to the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency. She reiterated the state’s zero tolerance for rape and domestic violence, noting that survivors can access free care at public health facilities.
In her opening remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, represented by the Coordinating Director of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, described the MNCAH+N Week as a dependable platform for delivering preventive healthcare directly to families.
She explained that the initiative strengthens primary healthcare delivery across all LGAs and LCDAs through the deployment of trained personnel and essential commodities, offering services such as growth monitoring, deworming, nutrition screening, antenatal and postnatal care, iron and folic acid supplementation, and adolescent-friendly services.
Dr. Ogunyemi assured residents that preparations for the second round were comprehensive, with services scheduled to run from Monday, December 15, to Friday, December 19, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily at all designated centres and outreach points.
Welcoming participants, the Chairman of Mushin Local Government Area, Hon. Tubosun Haruna Aruwe, described the MNCAH+N Week as a vital intervention aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the health agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration. He urged residents to take full advantage of the free services.
Community leaders, including the Baale of Mushin, Chief Jelili Aregbe; the Iyaloja of Mushin, Alhaja Borokini-Tabiat; and the CDC Chairman, Mr. Femi Okunyemi, commended the state government for prioritising maternal, child and adolescent health.
In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos Health District VI, Dr. Olufemi Omololu, thanked stakeholders and health workers for their collaboration and encouraged residents to actively participate throughout the Week.
Following the ceremony, the First Lady, accompanied by members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) and top government officials, toured health stands at the venue, administered immunisation to eligible children and interacted with health workers and volunteers.
The MNCAH+N Week will run statewide from December 15 to 19, 2025, across all public primary health centres and approved outreach locations. Residents have been urged to ensure that pregnant women, children and adolescents fully utilise the free, life-saving services provided during the programme.
