PRESS RELEASE: Celebrating 25 Years of SUMMIT and the Grand Launching of SMART MMS “From Lombok to the World: SMART MMS for Maternal and Child Health and Intelligence”

Mataram, August 9, 2025

The Summit Institute for Development (SID) celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the SUMMIT Program, in conjunction with the official launch of SMART-MMS, an innovative program designed to strengthen monitoring and adherence to multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women in Lombok, Indonesia.

The SUMMIT Program (Supplementation with Multiple Micronutrients Intervention Trial), implemented in Lombok from 2000-2004, was a large-scale study involving more than 42,000 pregnant women to assess the impact of MMS on improving infant survival. Results showed that MMS reduced infant mortality by 18%, reduced infant mortality among anemic mothers by 38%, and provided long-term cognitive benefits for both mothers and children, as evidenced by the SUMMIT 10 Years (S10Y) follow-up study.

Anuraj Shankar, the principal investigator of the SUMMIT Program, stated that the study was conducted to answer critical research questions about the extent of MMS’s impact on maternal and child health. Furthermore, SUMMIT aimed to evaluate the programmatic effectiveness of MMS when implemented broadly in primary healthcare systems. Importantly, the study demonstrated that Indonesian researchers were capable of leading a large-scale, high-standard trial, while also examining the cognitive impacts of MMS on both mothers and children.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health officially adopted MMS as a national program in 2024 across 15 priority provinces, marking a significant national policy shift initiated by SUMMIT. However, challenges in monitoring adherence among pregnant women remain. According to the 2018 National Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas) (Ministry of Health, 2019), only 44.2% of pregnant women consumed at least 90 iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets during pregnancy. SMART-MMS was developed to address this challenge by leveraging technology for precise monitoring, reporting, and community-based education. Through collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), healthcare workers, academics, and international partners, SID leads the development of SMART-MMS with digital integration, healthcare worker training, and strengthened health facility and community data systems.

The successful launch and future sustainability of the MMS program in Indonesia have been strongly supported by strategic partners, particularly Sight and Life, a global foundation focused on improving nutrition and health in developing countries. With the support of Sight and Life and their funding partner, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), the SMART-MMS program has been strengthened through evidence-based research, innovation, interventions, and the development of targeted nutrition education strategies.

SID’s collaboration with Sight and Life and CIFF is clear evidence that cross-country and cross-sectoral partnerships can create breakthroughs in maternal and child health with Lombok serving as an innovation hub that inspires the world.

The Grand Launching of SMART-MMS marked a momentum to introduce a new approach built on digital innovation, real-time data, and community education to improve MMS coverage and adherence in Indonesia.

Yuni Dwi Setyawati, S.Gz., MHID., Dietitian and CEO of the Summit Institute for Development, stated in her remarks: “Adherence remains a major challenge and a collective responsibility. MMS will not have its intended impact if we do not know the level of adherence among beneficiaries. At present, there is no evidence that digital tools alone can improve adherence. However, SID is bringing forward a digital innovation through SMART MMS, designed specifically to monitor and enhance adherence effectively.”

The launching event took place on Saturday, August 9, 2025, starting at 08:30 WITA at Prime Park Hotel, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. The event featured keynote presentations, the official launch of SMART-MMS, and the awarding of honors to key figures who played a crucial role in the success of the SUMMIT Program.

Dr. H. Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, S.IP., M.Si., Governor of West Nusa Tenggara, delivered his remarks via video message: “Congratulations on the implementation of SMART MMS in NTB. The Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara is committed to collaborating in the rollout of the MMS program in NTB, and we look forward to exploring its potential for full-scale implementation across the province. We hope this initiative runs successfully and that its outcomes benefit as many people as possible, particularly in NTB.”

The event was also attended by officials from the Provincial Government of West Nusa Tenggara, representatives of district and city governments across Lombok, as well as development partners committed to supporting the program in the future