By Ayomide Otitoju
The Lagos State Government has launched the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week, urging residents to embrace preventive healthcare, avoid unqualified healthcare providers and take advantage of free medical services available across the state.
The week-long exercise, which runs from July 20 to 24, offers free healthcare services at all public primary healthcare centres and designated locations statewide.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Secretariat, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, described the initiative as a key platform for delivering essential healthcare interventions to mothers, children, adolescents and families.
She said the programme would improve access to free healthcare while promoting healthy behaviours through services including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, nutrition counselling, growth monitoring, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, and health education.
The First Lady expressed concern over increasing cases of social vices, revealing that more than 4,000 rape cases were recorded in 2025, while illicit drug use among adolescents continued to rise. She urged residents to report domestic and sexual violence through the state’s toll-free line, 08000333333, assuring that the government remained committed to protecting vulnerable persons and prosecuting offenders.
She also warned pregnant women against patronising unqualified birth attendants, noting that the activities of quacks continued to result in preventable complications and deaths.
“Our pregnant women should stop seeking services from quacks. I call on the Traditional Medicine Board, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to strengthen monitoring efforts and bring these criminals to justice,” she said.
Highlighting the impact of the previous exercise, the First Lady disclosed that more than 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, 4.36 million children were dewormed, over 17,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal care, while more than 216,900 women and men benefited from family planning services. She expressed confidence that the current exercise would reach even more beneficiaries following the training of healthcare workers.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of Lagos State’s most successful public health initiatives, noting that it was originally developed by Lagos before being adopted nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.
She said the campaign targets children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services would also be available for men. Beneficiaries will receive services including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutrition screening, routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, micronutrient supplements, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, as well as counselling on handwashing, substance abuse and gender-based violence.
Dr. Ogunyemi noted that maternal and child mortality remained a significant public health challenge despite progress made over the years. She urged parents and caregivers who had missed routine healthcare services to take advantage of the free outreach and commended development partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals, for supporting the programme.
Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, encouraged residents to promote healthy living by referring family members, neighbours and colleagues to government health facilities. She also thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approving the programme and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery.
The Executive Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Otunba Kehinde Almaroof-Oluyede, said the council remained committed to improving primary healthcare through investments in infrastructure, emergency response and routine health interventions. 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 expand access to quality healthcare.
UNICEF Lagos Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere, commended the Lagos State Government for sustaining investments in maternal and child health, noting that the state is home to about three million children under the age of five. She said UNICEF supported the campaign with Vitamin A capsules, micronutrient supplements and community mobilisation, while urging the state to successfully implement the second round of the programme before the end of November and procure sufficient deworming tablets.
Also speaking, 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 interventions and called on stakeholders to ensure every eligible child and caregiver benefits from the programme.
Head of Sales at Agrim Pharmaceutical Healthcare Industry, Obayomi Olusegun, said the company was proud to support the campaign with healthcare products and commended the Ministry of Health for its commitment to improving residents’ wellbeing.
The event drew government officials, traditional rulers, development partners, healthcare workers, community leaders and residents, who pledged continued collaboration to reduce preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths while improving nutrition and healthcare outcomes across Lagos State.
The first round of the 2026 MNCAH+N Week will run until July 24, with free healthcare services available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at all public primary healthcare facilities and designated centres across the state.
