Uganda shifts to multiple nutrient supplements for pregnant women

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The Ministry of Health plans to replace the iron and folic acid supplements currently given to pregnant mothers with multiple nutrient supplements aimed at boosting the immunity of urban babies

This announcement was made by Samali Namukose, the Assistant Commissioner in the Nutrition Division at the Ministry of Health, during an interview with journalists at the national conference on the post-Nutrition4Growth Summit 2025, held at the Golden Tulip Hotel on Friday.

According to Namukose, these multiple nutrient supplements have been approved by the World Health Organization.

Following the recommendation, Namukose announced that the ministry has initiated a pilot phase to research the effectiveness of the new supplement in districts with higher rates of anaemia.

The selected districts for the study include Amuru, Lamwo, and Agago in the Acholi sub-region; Masaka, Kalungu, and Lyantonde in the central sub-region; and Amudat and Napak in the Karamoja sub-region.

“As a country, we have been providing iron-folic acid supplements that contain two micronutrients. The new supplement, however, includes 15 different nutrients, offering greater benefits compared to the iron-folic acid we have been using. The transition from iron-folic acid to micronutrient supplements will be a gradual process in terms of procurement,” Namukose explained.

She explained that anemia is a significant problem in the country and that the ministry is exploring innovative interventions to help address this issue.

“This is one of the recommendations from the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2025, which was held in Paris on March 28th. At the summit, countries were encouraged to integrate multiple nutrient supplements into routine antenatal care so that women can achieve better birth outcomes,” she stated.

The benefits of these supplements include improved health for both mother and baby and a reduction in cases of deformities, among other positive outcomes. After completing the pilot phase, we will continue to expand the program to other districts until we cover the entire country.

She also mentioned that the changes will be gradual and will specifically target expectant mothers.

The dialogue was organized by the Food Rights Alliance and attended by representatives from the French Embassy, UNICEF, World Vision, local governments, and ministries of agriculture and trade, among other stakeholders.