C’River govt sensitises market women on exclusive breastfeeding
Ani Bassey
Cross River State government has tasked stakeholders in the state to mobilize their followers to support exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Besides this, the government stressed the importance of continued breastfeeding with the addition of complementary foods from six months and beyond.
The state Nutrition Officer, Mrs Nkem Eyong Ubana made the appeal while sensitising market women at the Ika-Ika Oqua market in Calabar.
She said they were in the market to sensitise the market women on the importance of exclusive Breastfeeding as part of activities to mark the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week with the theme: ‘Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for all.
According to her, the celebration offers an opportunity for increased awareness on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding (i.e “zero water”, No Food Or Drinks Within The First 6 Months Of Life Of The Baby).
This, she said is aimed at , amongst others to celebrating mothers in all their diversity from all strata of the society, throughout their breastfeed journeys, while encouraging and showcasing ways families, societies, communities, government stakeholders, partners and health workers can help to remove all forms of barriers and social norms against breastfeeding”.
She enumerated the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and stresses that that apart from meeting the optimal nutrition needs of the child, exclusive breastfeeding helps in the child’s immune system, brain development, prevention of allergies, reduced risk of obesity and maintaining a healthier gut.
According to her, in the last 12 years, Nigeria has increased the breastfeeding rate by more than 10 per cent. However, Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) occurs only among 24 percent of new-borns in Cross River state which is still below the global target of at least 50% by 2025. What this means is that 76% (i.e almost 8 out of 10) of our children between ages 0-6 months are denied the uncontested benefits that come with exclusive breastfeeding”.
The State NutritionOfficer identified the introduction of water in the first six months of life as the major harmful barrier to achieving optimal exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria and in Cross River state specifically adding that if mothers could ensure zero water within first 6 months of the life of the baby.
“We can rapidly improve our EBF rate to over 50 percent from the current 24 percent nationally and 28 percent at the state level, ahead of the 50 percent WHA global target by year 2025”.
Ubana commended the state governor,Senator Bassey Otu and his wife, Rev Eyoanwan Otu who she described as nutrition champions for the pronouncement and implementation of six months paid maternity leave for mothers working in the state civil service. as against the previous three months.
She also lauded the governor for the establishment of nutrition departments across the MDAs including planning and budget commission, creating of budget lines and release of budget for these MDA’s to implement nutrition interventions.
