The Lagos State Government has launched the first round of its 2026 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week with a renewed offensive against unqualified healthcare providers with a warning that the continued patronage of quacks is contributing to preventable maternal and child deaths despite growing investments in public health.
The five-day campaign, which runs from July 20 to July 24, will provide free maternal, child and nutrition services at public primary healthcare centres and designated facilities across the state, as authorities intensify efforts to improve access to preventive healthcare and reduce avoidable deaths among vulnerable groups.
Speaking at the official flag-off in Oshodi-Isolo, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, urged residents to take advantage of the free services while avoiding unlicensed birth attendants and informal healthcare operators.
She warned that many pregnancy-related complications and maternal deaths recorded across the country could be traced to treatment received outside regulated health facilities.
She said, “Our pregnant women should stop seeking services from quacks.”
She continued, “I call on the Traditional Medicine Board, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to strengthen monitoring efforts and bring these criminals to justice.”
The warning reflects a broader challenge confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system, where skilled birth attendance remains uneven despite years of public awareness campaigns.
Beyond maternal healthcare, the First Lady said this year’s campaign would deliver a broad package of preventive 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.
She also raised concerns over wider social issues affecting family health, revealing that more than 4,000 rape cases were reported across Lagos in 2025 while drug abuse among adolescents continues to rise.
Mrs Hamzat urged residents to report domestic and sexual violence through the state’s toll-free emergency line, saying government remained committed to protecting vulnerable persons and ensuring offenders face prosecution.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said the MNCAH+N Week is one of Lagos State’s most successful public health interventions. She noted that the initiative originated in Lagos before it was adopted nationally by the National Council on Health in 2010.
According to her, this year’s exercise targets children under five, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and adolescents, while preventive health services have also been extended to men to encourage family-wide participation in primary healthcare.
Government figures presented during the ceremony showed the scale of previous interventions. During the last round, over 4.19 million children received Vitamin A supplements, while more than 4.36 million children were dewormed. Authorities also recorded over 17,500 antenatal and postnatal visits and more than 216,900 beneficiaries of family planning services.
The current campaign is expected to surpass those figures following the training of frontline health workers and expanded mobilisation across communities.
For Lagos, the campaign represents more than another public health exercise. It is part of a broader strategy to shift healthcare from treatment to prevention by encouraging residents to seek professional medical care early, rather than waiting until illnesses become emergencies.
For More Details Visit PrimeTimes News