Multiple micronutrient supplements in pregnancy could reduce maternal deaths globally

As maternal mortality rates stall globally, health experts are advocating for multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) to replace traditional iron and folic acid tablets. Anaemia is a critical driver of postpartum haemorrhage, which causes severe complications in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. At just $2 per pregnancy, MMS reduces maternal anaemia by 12% and infant mortality by nearly 30% for anaemic mothers, prompting nations like Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Pakistan to integrate the supplement into national antenatal systems.

Multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnancy

• ▪The World Health Organisation states that multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) in pregnancy reduce maternal anaemia at term by 12 percent compared to iron and folic acid alone
• ▪Multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) contain iron, folic acid, and 13 other vitamins and minerals, serving as an alternative to traditional iron and folic acid tablets for pregnant women

Anaemia postpartum haemorrhage risk

• ▪Postpartum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death globally, and researchers found anaemia could be responsible for half of severe cases in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
• ▪Research from trials released in 2026 by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine identified anaemia as a critical contributor to severe postpartum haemorrhage

MMS health benefits

• ▪A modeling study across 25 low- and middle-income countries published in the British Medical Journal in May 2026 estimated that replacing iron and folic acid with multiple micronutrient supplements could prevent 3.5 million low-birthweight births and 186,000 stillbirths over five years
• ▪Research published in September 2026 in Brain Communications indicated a correlation between maternal anaemia during pregnancy and smaller brain volume in babies, affecting movement and learning

MMS economic benefits

• ▪Dr. Martin Mwangi of the Micronutrient Forum stated that national investments in multiple micronutrient supplements yield massive economic and health benefits in terms of the cost of lives saved
• ▪Providing multiple micronutrient supplements for the full duration of a pregnancy often costs as little as $2 (£1.50) per woman

National government MMS adoption

• ▪In May 2026, ministers from Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Pakistan committed to integrating multiple micronutrient supplements into their national antenatal systems
• ▪More than 30 countries are looking into or trialing multiple micronutrient supplements as improvements to medical technology and manufacturing have dramatically reduced costs

Sierra Leone MMS rollout

• ▪More than half of pregnant women in Sierra Leone are estimated to be anaemic, making postpartum haemorrhage one of the country's leading causes of maternal death
• ▪Feimata Russell of Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Health reported that a working group found infant mortality was reduced by almost 30 percent in the first six months for anaemic mothers using multiple micronutrient supplements