PARTNERS and relevant stakeholders promoting good nutrition in Kaduna State on Saturday took a breastfeeding campaign to the streets as part of activities to celebrate the 2019 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the street campaign took off from the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), along Tafawa Balewa Way, and moved toward Murtala Square.
Mrs Aisha El-Rufai, the wife of the state Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who led the campaign, explained that the measure was to create the needed awareness on the benefit of breastfeeding children appropriately.
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Mrs El-Rufai, who is the Chairperson, Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan, noted that the practice of exclusive breastfeeding was very low in the state, stressing that women must be supported to breastfeed appropriately.
“This is what the theme of the 2019 WBW celebration, ‘Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding’ hopes to address.
“Family must be empowered and women must be supported by husbands, relations, community members and in workplaces to practice exclusive breastfeeding for healthy growth and development of children.
“This is because breastfeeding will, among other things, strengthen children’s immune system, promote cognitive development and prevent stunting and wasting, thereby ensuring better productivity in the future.
“Therefore, we all have a role to play in empowering families to practice exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continue to breastfeed along with complementary feeding for at least two years,” she said.
She expressed confidence that the state government would soon issue a circular for the implementation of the six months maternity leave recently approved for working-class mothers.
Earlier, State Nutrition Officer, Hajiya Hauwa Usman, had explained that the campaign was organised by Alive and Thrive (Fhi360), in collaboration with Kaduna State Government.
Usman said that the campaign was key in mobilising community members and all relevant stakeholders to support women to practice appropriate breastfeeding.
The State Team Leader, Alive and Thrive, Mrs Sarah Kwasu, commended the state government for supporting and promoting breastfeeding practices in the state.
“We particularly thanked the state government for extending maternity leave to six months.
“While we await its implementation, we urge working-class mothers to make the best use of the gesture to exclusively breastfeed their children to give them a chance to start strong,” she said.
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