Stakeholders campaign for increased exclusive breastfeeding
The Federal Capital (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board has increased its campaign on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the benefit of both mother and child in achieving sustainable growth. Speaking at a press briefing to commemorate this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) with the theme, “Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development Goal”, the […]
The Federal Capital (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board has increased its campaign on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the benefit of both mother and child in achieving sustainable growth.
Speaking at a press briefing to commemorate this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) with the theme, “Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development Goal”, the Executive Secretary FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr Rilwanu Muhammad, said breast milk is free and the first immunisation of a child, adding that it is a free gift of nature which prevents the child from suffering any ailment.
Dr Rilwanu, who noted that there is a sharp decline in sustaining the tempo of breastfeeding few weeks or months after delivery, said currently exclusive breastfeeding rate is 17 percent in Nigeria and this needs to be improved.
“The sharp decline underscores the importance of the theme which emphasizes on informing people about the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they relate to breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).”
He said the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life and up to two years and beyond can never be undermined, explaining that the underlying factors for the more than 50 percent mortality in children less than 5 years is associated with malnutrition which can be tackled by exclusive breastfeeding.
The Deputy Director, Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Roselyn Gabriel, said the WBW affirms protection, promoting and supporting breastfeeding at all levels, adding that within the national food and nutrition policy, exclusive breastfeeding is the basis of good nutrition.
“We believe that the starting point for any baby to survive in Nigeria, and to develop in the world, must be through Exclusive Breastfeeding and that is why the national policy on food and nutrition has given support to promoting exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria.”
She explained that exclusive breastfeeding is giving the baby breast milk 30 minutes after birth for up to 6 months without adding water or any other form of liquid.
“I must affirm that breast milk contains all the nutrients essential for the baby’s growth. It contains up to 90 percent of water so why give water to the baby? It is important that it has been taken up by every country and as we are celebrating it here, over 170 other countries are in the same mood. This tells us that the world looks up to mothers to completely give breast milk to their babies from age of 0 – 6 months of life and afterword give the child breast milk with other supplement till two years,” she said
The chairman Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Professor Ngozi Nnam said breastfeeding is the basis for everything in life, adding that the right track for mothers is "Exclusive Breastfeeding of the baby in the first six months of life."
"Breast feeding is the key to attaining these sustainable development goals which will really help in national development. If we look at the goals, it is only well breast fed children that can key in towards achieving those sustainable development goals. Breast feeding is the safest and cheapest way of creating a smart and intelligent child," she said.
She said we are doing our children the greatest harm on earth if we don’t exclusively breast feed them because breast milk contains all the essential nutrients required for proper development of the child, particularly proper development of the brain.