The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) wants the Cross River state government to strengthen policies supporting maternity leave for 6 months and also advocate for paid paternity leave to ensure full participation of both parents in the early moments of the child.
The appeal was made during a one-day advocacy and sensitization of women in policy positions and wives of political leaders in Cross River State, organized by UNICEF and partners in collaboration with the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA).
Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Enugu Field Office, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, made the appeal and noted that breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy development but it is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
According to her, “The benefits of breastfeeding for children and their mothers have the power to improve a country’s prosperity with lower health care costs and stronger, more able workforces. Improving the rate at which children are breastfed exclusively for the first six months would save the lives of 520,000 children in the next 10 years.
“In low and middle-income countries like ours, better rates of exclusive breastfeeding would increase children’s chances of survival and their cognitive capability-enabling more children to earn more as adults.”
Chiluwe also called for increased financial resources to implement the ‘Zero Water Campaign’ in local government areas at the scale and intensity required to achieve the desired results.
In her remarks, the wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Rev. Eyoanwan Otu, assured that the government would do everything in its power to empower and educate mothers on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and support them in their efforts.
She urged government and stakeholders to prioritize investment in nutrition interventions, stressing that this investment is not just a monetary commitment, rather it’s an investment in the future and a legacy that will be left for generations to come.
According to her, by prioritising nutrition interventions, we can ” Reduce childhood malnutrition rate by giving our children a healthy start, enhance a cognitive development with well-nourished children, build a stronger workforce for effective economic development and empower mothers with resources and knowledge to make the best choices for their children.”
She promised to speak to her husband, Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, about extending maternity leave to six months and assured that hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state will continue to be children-friendly.
The event concluded with the investiture of Rev Eyoanwan Otu as Cross River State Nutrition Champion and the signing of the Zero Water Campaign Commitment Board.
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