Jigawa State Primary Health Development Agency (JSPHDA) had set up a special team with aim to explore and come up with the challenges bedeviling the practices of exclusive breastfeeding in the state.
This was disclosed by the permanent secretary of the primary healthcare development agency, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim while speaking at a media round table in continuation of the World Breastfeeding Week celebration in the state with a theme ‘let exclusive breastfeeding work while at work’.
Dr Kabiru Ibrahim said cultural and other traditional challenges cause low movement of exclusive breastfeeding practice.
According to him, “As part of effort to promote exclusive breastfeeding, the agency formed a team with aims to work on the challenges bedeviling the practices of exclusive breastfeeding in the state”.
The permanent secretary sought the support and cooperation with husbands (fathers), partners, religious and traditional leaders to improve acceptance and practice of the medically best new bone children in the state.
Dr Kabir who urged fathers (husbands) to encourage mothers (wives) to practice the system, said, “The idea of extension maternity leave from three to six months, is to give mothers more chances and time to breastfeed their babies”.
According to him, the importance of exclusive breastfeeding can never be emphasized, as it helps both the babies, mothers, fathers and even community at large.
He identified some of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding as the building of strong immunity to the babies and as strong protection against child killer diseases. For mothers, it helps them against breast cancer, saves them time among many other benefits.
To the fathers, exclusive breastfeeding helps them improve their economy by making the baby more brilliant to contribute to the development of the family and community.
It be recalled that during the flag-off of the ceremony, the wife of Jigawa governor Hajiya Hadiza Umar Namadi appealed for the extension of maternity leave from three to six months in the State.
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