The First Lady of Lagos State, Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, a doctor, has raised the alarm over the growing menace of quackery in maternal health services, warning that unregistered birth attendants are endangering the lives of women and children across the state.
Speaking during the official flag-off of the 2025 Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition Week (MNCH+N) in Alimosho, Mrs Sanwo-Olu urged residents to reject unregistered practitioners and report illegal health practices in their communities.
Addressing a large audience of healthcare workers, traditional leaders, community stakeholders, and development partners; Mrs Sanwo-Olu highlighted the significance of the week as a critical intervention that empowers citizens with access to cost-effective, high-impact healthcare services that can transform health indices and save lives.
“Our communities must rise up to report illegal practices that put the lives of our women and children in danger. We must prioritise the use of licensed health professionals and those registered with the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board,” Mrs Sanwo-Olu said.
Lifeline for families
The MNCH+N Week, which runs from 23 to 27 June 2025, aims to provide free, life-saving services including vitamin A supplementation, growth monitoring, free antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, counselling on home care, screening for malnutrition, as well as information and referral support for sexual and domestic violence cases.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, noted that while Lagos has made significant strides in maternal and child health, the current under-five and infant mortality rates of 36 and 46 per 1,000 live births respectively remain a call to action.
“No child deserves to die from preventable causes,” she declared.
Access to care beyond intervention week
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, described the flag-off as symbolic and strategic, expressing that the MNCH+N week has historically improved health-seeking behaviour among residents while enhancing the state’s maternal and child health indices. She however stressed that current mortality rates still demand intensified action from all stakeholders.
Mrs Ogunyemi encouraged families to register for Ilera Eko, the state’s social health insurance scheme, to ensure continued access to quality care beyond the intervention week.
Also, the permanent secretary of the state ministry of health, Olusegun Ogboye, urged parents and caregivers across the state to take full advantage of the ongoing MNCH+N week to access free, life-saving health services for their children and families.
Mr Ogboye encouraged parents to visit the nearest public primary healthcare centres between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily during the outreach to access a wide range of essential services for children and adolescents. “We are targeting children under five, pregnant women, and adolescents with both preventive and curative care,” he said.
He called on parents whose children are yet to be immunised or who have missed out on Vitamin A supplementation to seize the opportunity provided during the week while he highlighted the availability of the HPV vaccine and child nutrition supplements as part of the intervention package.
UNICEF applauds Lagos, pushes for nutrition fund
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria’s Chief of Nutrition, Nemat Hajeebhoy, commended the Lagos state government and the first lady for sustaining the MNCH+N campaign.
In her goodwill message, she described the week as a platform to deliver essential, preventive, and curative services to women and children; revealing that about six million children received vitamin A supplements, and three million were dewormed during the two rounds of 2024. She called for continued momentum to surpass those figures in 2025.
Mrs Hajeebhoy introduced the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), a financing mechanism that enables states to double their investment in key nutrition interventions; expressing confidence that Lagos state would soon join states like Oyo, Jigawa, and Kaduna in leveraging the fund to address malnutrition and strengthen its nutrition systems.
Local government backs initiative
The chairman of Alimosho local government, Jelili Sulaimon, represented by his vice, Akinpelu Johnson lauded the state for selecting Alimosho as the host community, describing the initiative as timely and essential.
According to him, good health is foundational to productivity, economic stability, and personal development.
While he reaffirmed the council’s commitment to prioritising the health of pregnant women and children, he used the occasion to inaugurate the newly constructed administrative building at the council secretariat, which he said will improve the working conditions for council staff.