The Lagos State Government has commenced 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 life-saving services available at public primary healthcare centres across the state.
Flagging off the week-long exercise at the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Secretariat, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, described the initiative as a critical platform for delivering high-impact healthcare interventions to mothers, children, adolescents and families.
She said the programme, which runs from July 20 to 24, offers free services including routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutrition counselling, growth monitoring, tuberculosis screening, HIV counselling and testing, as well as general health education.
The First Lady called on residents to cultivate positive health-seeking behaviour by accessing government-approved healthcare facilities, warning that patronage of unqualified birth attendants and other quacks continues to contribute to preventable maternal and infant deaths.
She also expressed concern over the increasing incidence of rape and substance abuse among adolescents, revealing that more than 4,000 rape cases were reported in 2025. She urged victims and members of the public to report cases of domestic and sexual violence through the state’s toll-free line, 08000333333, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable residents and ensuring offenders are prosecuted.
Highlighting the impact of previous editions of the programme, Mrs. Hamzat disclosed that over 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, while more than 4.36 million children were dewormed. She added that thousands of pregnant women and nursing mothers accessed antenatal and postnatal services, with over 216,900 women and men benefiting from family planning interventions.
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 originated in Lagos before it was adopted nationwide by the National Council on Health in 2010.
According to her, the campaign targets children under five years, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and adolescents, while preventive healthcare services are also available for men. She encouraged parents and caregivers who had missed routine healthcare appointments to utilise the free outreach to improve the health of their families.
Dr. Ogunyemi acknowledged the support of development partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, the Gates Foundation and Agrim Pharmaceuticals, for their continued contributions to strengthening maternal and child healthcare in Lagos.
In separate goodwill messages, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Chairman, Otunba Kehinde Almaroof-Oluyede, UNICEF Lagos Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere, representatives of the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research Nigeria (CCCRN), and Agrim Pharmaceutical Healthcare Industry reaffirmed their commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at reducing preventable maternal and child deaths and improving nutrition outcomes across the state.
The Lagos State Government encouraged all eligible residents to visit public primary healthcare facilities and designated centres between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. throughout the campaign to access the free healthcare services.
