The Borno state government says it will implement the six months maternity leave for working mothers under the payroll of the state government.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Health and Human Services Dr. Mohammed Ghuluze stated this a media briefing in Maiduguri.
He explained that the state government has four months maternity leave in place for working mothers, assuring that efforts are on to extend it to six months.
“This year’s World Breastfeeding week is intended to galvanise action across multiple sectors including the private sector on how to improve existing breastfeeding facilities, create new ones where there is none and review the possibility of legislating policies that promote breastfeeding-friendly work places” Ghuluze said.
The Permanent Secretary said the state government is stepping up effort to achieve the fifty percent exclusive breastfeeding target set by the United Nations from the current forty percent.
He observed that working mothers struggle to balance childcare and work responsibilities, thereby resulting in early cessation of breastfeeding.
“Women therefore need continued support from the government, health system, workplace and communities to play their critical roles in empowering them and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments” the Permanent Secretary stressed.
Correspondent reports that the World Breastfeeding week is held in the first week of August every year.
Cov/Dauda Iliya
