Save the Children International SCI and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum NGF have called on government at all levels, public health experts, CEOs, Managers, Captains of industries and workplaces to support and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments for lactating mothers and their babies in the post pandemic era.
The Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria Mr Famari Baro in a statement said proper education of mothers and their caregivers would help in achieving exclusive breastfeeding.
Mr Baro stressed that, all health workers, who come into contact with women, infants and families must be adequately trained to provide evidence-based breastfeeding support.
He noted that, the leadership of Save the Children International and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum are working together to support initiatives where health care workers and providers, community workers and volunteers are adequately trained to provide breastfeeding counselling.
According to Mr Famari Baro they also focused on ensuring pregnant women and caregivers of children less than two years of age benefit from social protection measures to support appropriate, respectful and safe maternity services.
“World Breastfeeding Week 2022 focuses on strengthening the capacity of different relevant actors; health workers and other structures at community levels that must take positive actions to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. It enhances child growth and development, increases their performance at school, improves immunity to withstand diseases and savings from household income”
Save the Children’s report “Nutrition Critical: Why we must act now to tackle child malnutrition (2020)” indicated that if breastfeeding were adopted at close to universal levels, in low- and middle-income countries, 823,000 child deaths could be prevented each year. And it would lead to global savings of US$300 billion per year, as a result of enhancing human capacity – increasing intelligence and boosting adult earning potential.
“The report further revealed that early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life, alongside exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and complementary feeding until the age of two, is essential to child survival, health, growth and development”
The Director-General of the Nigeria Governors Forum NGF, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru said the forum had been in support of the full boarding of health and medical facilities at workplaces and in fact, as a proactive organization,
“we have a functional creche in our office where nursing mothers can keep their offspring and we recommend that all organizations should make provision for such to enhance baby/mother bonding without necessarily affecting their jobs adversely.’’
REL/AMINU DALHATU
