The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is calling for strict adherence to the Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) Code due to its critical impact on infant nutrition,Daily Trust reports.
Rahila Maishanu, the BMS desk officer in Kaduna, made this appeal during a media and stakeholders’ roundtable on Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) held in Kaduna over the weekend. She emphasized the importance of combatting malnutrition in Kaduna, urging Nigerians, particularly residents of the state, to play their part.
Maishanu clarified that the primary objective of implementing the BMS code in the country is to encourage optimal infant and young child feeding, thereby promoting child survival, growth, and development. She also called upon the media to refuse advertisements that promote breast milk substitute products.
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In the same context, Sarah Kwasu, the zonal coordinator of Alive & Thrive, provided guidance to pregnant women regarding the use of Multiple Micronutrients Supplement (MMS) as a substitute for Iron and Folic Acid (IFA). Kwasu explained that MMS contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals crucial for a healthy pregnancy and the well-being of the baby.
She highlighted the benefits of MMS, stating that it reduces the risk of infant mortality (from 0-6 months of age) by 29 percent when taken by anemic mothers during pregnancy. It also lowers the risk of stillbirth by 26 percent among anemic pregnant women and reduces the chances of a child being born underweight or pre-term. Kwasu underscored that MMS is particularly advantageous for pregnant, underweight women, as it decreases the risks associated with their condition.
