The Breakthrough Action, Nigeria, a United States Agency for International Development-funded health partner in Nigeria, has revealed its plan to leverage on the Women’s August meetings to promote exclusive breastfeeding in Ebonyi State.
This was revealed during a press briefing held at the Ministry of Health headquarters, Abakaliki, on Monday, as part of events marking this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
Addressing newsmen at the event, the Ebonyi State coordinator, Breakthrough Action, Nigeria, Chidimma Ukoha-Nwankwo, represented by the Programme’s Nutrition Focal person, Grace Sule, explained that supporting breastfeeding was the responsibility of all and sundries.
According to her, breastfeeding is one sure way of reducing malnutrition among infants in Nigeria, adding that the Breakthrough Action has lined up activities for the week aimed at drawing attention to the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
Sule said: “The key message we have for this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is that everyone should recognise his or her role and responsibility in protecting breastfeeding: from the government to the health system, the community and individuals.
“If we support mothers to initiate early breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding from 0 to 6 months, it will go a long way to reducing the malnutrition needs we have in the country.
“We have a lot of activities planned for this week, starting from community sensitization for pregnant women and lactating mothers in some local government areas to community engagements with traditional rulers, religious leaders as well as various media sessions on radio and television.
“Also we will leverage the August meetings to also sensitize mothers on the importance of breastfeeding their child exclusively and early nutrition with the breast milk…”
Sule further revealed that the BA-N would be targetting 60 pregnant and lactating women and over 70 persons including community and religious leaders for capacity building from Ebonyi and Izzi local government areas respectively.
In an earlier briefing, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezurike, represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Joseph Ekoh, maintained that over 170 countries, including Nigeria, celebrate breastfeeding week from the 1st to 7th August annually as a baby-friendly initiative.
He noted that breast milk still remains the most cost-effective yet complete nutrition for the baby’s survival, healthier growth and development, adding tha the celebration was aimed at offering the people every knowledge about the positive effect of breastfeeding, especially in promoting and supporting of exclusive breastfeeding which is a high impact intervention for ensuring child survival, growth and development.
Speaking on the theme for the year: ‘Supporting Breastfeeding, a Shared Responsibility’, Umezurike explained that it lays emphasis on the fact that breastfeeding offers society not only improved health for children and mothers but also provide economic and environmental benefits.
“Mother’s milk gives the child every type of better nourishment to develop their health for a better future as well as protect the child from diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia and neo-natal jaundice.
Others who spoke at the event, including the State Nutrition Officer in the Ministry, Cyprian Ogbonna, discouraged the feeding of the baby with artificial milk and water as first food, emphasizing that such does not contain the colostrum of mother’s milk which is very essential for the child’s wellbeing.
Other health partners in the state who attended the briefing included USAID/Integrated Health Programme (IHP), Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), among others.