Health

Time, space, concentration needed to achieve maximum result of EBF — UNICEF

It has been observed that Breastfeeding requires time, space, and concentration in order to get the maximum results of the objectives of Exclusive BreastFeeding (EBF) for a child’s healthy growth and development.

The assertion was made by the UNICEF, Nigeria Country Office as part of its commemoration of the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) activities.

It, however, lamented that, for working parents, this may sometimes be challenging as they need to scamper between breastfeeding their children and carrying out their official tasks.

According to UNICEF, working mothers, who wish to practice EBF for 6 months may find it difficult, especially as most, if not all, workplaces do not have breastfeeding spaces or creche.

To commemorate the WBW this year, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office is facilitating a series of advocacy initiatives to bring attention to the need to encourage workplace breastfeeding.

The activities include a media dialogue and media field trip scheduled to hold at Jamil Hotel, Azare on Wednesday, August 9th during which issues related to achieving the set objectives of EBF, particularly at workplaces will be discussed.

Journalists from the States to make up the Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF from both Print and Broadcast are expected to share experiences on the best way to achieve the set objectives.

After the media dialogue, the Journalists will engage in field trips to selected facilities in order to interact with working parents in Azare and Misau.

The media engagement is aimed at exposing the media practitioners, to the key issues around workplace breastfeeding including maternity leave, breastfeeding spaces, relevant policies and the interplay with achieving exclusive breastfeeding.

The field trip is facilitated to enable Journalists to have firsthand interactions with working parents and their experiences with breastfeeding vis-à-vis their work.

The annual activity is designed to bring public and political attention to the importance of breastfeeding.

Themed ‘Enabling Breastfeeding – Making a Difference for Working Parents’, the 2023 WBW aims to raise awareness about the interplay between workplace breastfeeding and promoting exclusive breastfeeding and growing healthy children.

UNICEF is paying attention to such issues because of its resolve that, “For every child, a better future..”

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