Breakthrough Action Nigeria, a civil society organization with support from USAID has called on community leaders to enact policies to support exclusive breastfeeding at the community level.
According to the group, babies that were exclusively breastfed stand to benefit from a sharper brain, and love their mother more than those who were denied access to exclusive breastfeeding by their mothers.
Nutrition focal person for BA-N, Mr Clinton Ofoegbu, stated this during a media chat with newsmen to mark the 2022 world breastfeeding week with the theme “Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and support”.
According to him, the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding is multiple and urged lactating and expectant mothers to imbibe the culture of exclusive breastfeeding for the well-being of their children.
“BA-N as a social behavioural change organization is interested in changing the mindset and behaviour of community members as regards 17 priority health behaviours bordering round immunization, ANC visits, malaria prevention, maternal child health, plus nutrition.
“Now on breastfeeding week BA-N is calling the media to help sensitize all and Sundry regarding early initiation in breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, ANC visits the health facilities and postnatal care where they get information on how to address breastfeeding challenges, how to carry out positioning and attachment during breastfeeding, how to combine complementary feeding for 6 to 29 months together with breastfeeding at the community level.
“We want community leaders, youth groups, market women everybody to come to support, to promote breastfeeding in all the ways they can ensure there is a baby-friendly space in your workplace, and ensure mothers are at liberty to breastfeed their baby anytime.
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“Community leaders help to enact policies to support breastfeeding at the community level and prevent women to overwork themselves when it is time to breastfeed.
“Men in the community should be involved. give women a chance when it is time to breastfeed, take care of the house chores when your wife is breastfeeding, take care of other children, and prepare dinner for the family while your wife breastfeeds the new baby these are the things we are trying to promote in the media and we hope that the media disseminate the message so that the whole Ebonyi state will move towards ensuring that breastfeeding is promoted, protected and supported,” Ofoegbu said.
Earlier the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike, represented by Mr Ituma Ogbonnaya director of community health services, state primary health care development agency, charged the men not to leave the breastfeeding for mothers alone.
He then promised to take the campaign to market and other public places to educate the public on the importance of breastfeeding in Ebonyi state.
“The campaign will go to the market, and rural areas and we need to support women.
“Community members, market women, town union, and all the actors should be involved to ensure that the purpose is achieved,” Umezurike said.
Meanwhile, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and chairperson of Nutrition Society of Nigeria Ebonyi State Chapter, Nwabumma Asouzu, linked poor development in children to poor breastfeeding.
She however cautioned mothers to avoid giving their children under six months multivitamin syrup. According to her, breast milk contains a lot of vitamins due for the baby.
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