In its efforts to promote exclusive breastfeeding of new born, the Ebonyi State Government said it grants a policy-backed four months fully paid maternity leave to nursing mothers.
The disclosure was made by the State Commissioner for Health, Daniel Umezurike, on Tuesday in Abakaliki during a press briefing marking this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
Umezurike explained that apart from the paid maternity leave, the State Government also has it as a policy to allow nursing mothers close from work by 12pm instead of the general closing time of 4pm.
He added that the State government through the office of the Wife to the Governor offers relief and assistance to poor and indigent nursing mothers to combat malnutrition, which he said poses great challenge to adequate breastfeeding, among other policies.
Umezurike, who harped on the importance of breastmilk as a complete, natural nutritional source for infants, emphasised that it prevents many childhood diseases and has lifelong positive benefits associated with child spacing, risk reduction for some cancers, especially breast and ovarian, as well as prevention of hypertension.
According to him, the World Health Organisation’s and UNICEF’s recommendation for optimal infant and young child feeding practice laid emphasis to early invitation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, while introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary solid foods can commence at the sixth month.
The Health Commissioner, who further noted that the State ranks first in Baby-frienly compliance rating, attributed the success to the health-friendly disposition of Governor David Umahi as well as the collaborative actions of the Ministry and its partners such as the Breakthrough Action – Nigeria.
Umezurike explained: “We have done quite a lot to support breast feeding.
“Our Governor is a health-friendly Governor, and breast feeding is one of the most important ways of improving child and maternal survival.
“So we take it very seriously.
“We do public awareness campaigns, jingles to advocate breast feeding, and we also have partners that support us in this….
“We also have paid maternity leave.
“At present, we have four months paid maternity leave in Ebonyi State, and after that four months, a nursing mother is allowed to close from work as from midday, unlike other workers that close by 4pm.
“This will enable the mother to go home as soon as possible to breastfeed the baby.
“We also observe World Breastfeeding Week, where we used to have Baby Show to encourage other mothers on the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months.
“Sometimes, malnutrition is a problem and if a mother is malnourished, it is difficult to also produce enough breast milk.
“Such families are supported in Ebonyi State through the Office of the Wife to the Governor, unless those not brought to our notice.”
Speaking on the year’s theme: “Supporting Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet,” Umezurike decried the prevailing humanity’s destruction of nature occasioned by man’s current food production and consumption practices.
He noted that illegal and unsustainable wild life trade are affecting forests, degrading land and water ecosystems, leading to climate change.
Highlighting the link between breastfeeding and planetary health, he maintained that every step taken across humanity’s lifecycle to mitigate environmental degradation and climatic crises counts, and identified breastfeeding in particular and feeding in general as one pathway to mitigate environmental degradation.
Representatives of Breakthrough Action – Nigeria featured prominently in the event with other partners such as the Integrated Health Program.
World Breastfeeding week is observed between August 1 and 7 every year.