The Lagos State Government on Monday commenced the first round of the 2026 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week, urging residents to embrace preventive healthcare and avoid unqualified healthcare providers.

The exercise, which will run from July 20 to 24, will provide free healthcare services at all public primary healthcare centres and designated outreach sites across the state.

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 programme as a strategic intervention aimed at improving the health of mothers, children, adolescents and families.

She said residents would benefit from free services including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, nutrition counselling, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, growth monitoring and health education.

The First Lady also expressed concern over rising social vices, disclosing that more than 4,000 rape cases were reported in Lagos in 2025, while drug abuse among adolescents continued to increase.

She urged residents to report cases of 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.

Sanwo-Olu also warned pregnant women against seeking care from unqualified birth attendants, saying patronage of quacks had continued to result in avoidable 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 achievements recorded during the previous round of the programme, she disclosed that over 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, 4.36 million children were dewormed, more than 17,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal services, while over 216,900 women and men benefited from family planning services.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the MNCAH+N Week as one of Lagos State’s flagship public health initiatives, noting that the programme was originally developed by Lagos before its adoption nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.

According to her, this year’s exercise targets children under five, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services will also be available for men.

She noted that maternal and child mortality remained a major public health concern despite progress recorded over the years and urged residents who had defaulted in routine healthcare to take advantage of the free outreach.

Ogunyemi also appreciated development partners including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals for supporting the programme.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Dayo Lajide, urged residents to become ambassadors of healthy living by encouraging neighbours and relatives to patronise government health facilities.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Government, Kehinde Almaroof-Oluyede, said the council was strengthening primary healthcare through investments in infrastructure, emergency response and routine public health interventions.

UNICEF Lagos Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere, commended the Lagos State Government for sustaining investments in child nutrition and maternal health, noting that Lagos is home to about three million children under the age of five.

She said UNICEF supported the current campaign with Vitamin A capsules, micronutrient supplements and community mobilisation, while urging the state to ensure a successful second round of the programme before the end of November.

The first round of the 2026 MNCAH+N Week will run until July 24, with free services available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at public primary healthcare facilities and designated centres across the state. (Nigerian Tribune)

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