The Challenge
For many women, pregnancy begins not with joy, but with crushing fatigue, dizziness, and worry.
Anemia quietly robs pregnant women of their strength. It makes even simple tasks exhausting and puts both mother and baby at risk. Babies are more likely to be born too small, too early, or with lifelong health complications.
In Nigeria, these risks are magnified. Many women must pay fees just to attend prenatal appointments, and most are only able to visit a clinic a handful of times before giving birth — far fewer than recommended. Each missed visit is a missed chance to detect anemia early, offer counseling, and provide the nutrients mothers need.
The standard approach — iron and folic acid — can be effective, but gaps in delivery undermine its impact. Women often receive too few tablets, struggle to manage multiple pills, or receive inconsistent guidance due to the constraints of busy health facilities.
The tools exist, but they’re not reaching women reliably or early enough.
The Solution
Multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) offers a better, simpler option: 15 essential vitamins and minerals in a single daily tablet. Research shows MMS reduces low birth weight and other adverse outcomes more effectively than iron and folic acid alone.
At just over two dollars per woman for a full pregnancy course, MMS is highly cost-effective. The challenge lies not in the product itself, but in ensuring that women receive it consistently and that health systems are equipped to deliver it well.
Our Approach
Evidence Action works with Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health to pilot MMS delivery through 90 health facilities across Oyo State and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja). We're reaching over 5,000 pregnant women while rigorously testing delivery approaches that work within Nigeria's health system realities.
Read more about our MMS pilot in NigeriaWhat We're Learning
- Mothers feel the difference. Women report having more energy, less nausea, and greater confidence when they only need to remember one tablet a day instead of juggling multiple pills.
- Care can happen on the spot. Point-of-care anemia screening means women don’t wait weeks for results or treatment—they can be supported immediately.
- Families are more involved. Husbands are learning about MMS and reminding their wives to take the tablets, turning maternal health into a family commitment, not a burden women carry alone. Male partners are more engaged in prenatal care, with husbands actively reminding wives to take supplements
- Cost is no longer a barrier. When MMS is provided free of charge at the first visit, women don’t have to decide between paying for food, transport, or essential supplements.
- Health workers are empowered. With one clear regimen to explain, frontline staff can spend their time counseling instead of troubleshooting complex pill schedules.
The Path to Nationwide Impact
This pilot generates the feasibility data Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health needs to make informed decisions about nationwide adoption.
Incorporating MMS into routine care for all pregnant women in Nigeria would mean:
- Fewer mothers lost to preventable causes.
- More babies born at a healthy weight, with a stronger start to life.
- A model that other countries can adapt, multiplying the impact far beyond Nigeria’s borders.