UNICEF, Aisha Buhari, others advocate for six months maternity leave

THE United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF) and the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Tuesday, advocated for an extension of the three months maternity leave to six months for nursing mother; as the Federal Government launched a Zero Water Campaign during the first sixth months of a newborn baby.

The UNICEF Country Representative, Mrs Pernille Ironside, Mrs Buhari and other stakeholders spoke at the launch of the campaign organised as a part of events marking the World Breastfeeding Week 2019, in Abuja. The theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week is: “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding; now and for the future.”

According to Mrs Ironside, the cost of non-breastfeeding is very high, not only to the child and the family but also to the society and the nation; adding that this has cost Nigeria N18 billion in loses.

She said: “Non-breastfeeding in Nigeria causes over 10 million avoidable cases of avoidable pneumonia and diarrhoea cases, 10,000 deaths per year. It is a tragedy. Beyond the child loses, economically, it has also impacted N18 billion in loses to the country and other loses in productivity.”

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She called for the extension of the national maternity leave policy from three months to six months, saying that 72% of women are in favour of six months extension.

The UNICEF country representative said a nursing mother should breastfeed baby exclusively for six months without giving water.

To Mrs Aisha Buhari, it is really worrisome that children do not benefit so much from breastfeeding; adding that Breastfeeding is the right of every newborn and the government of Nigeria recommends that initiation of breastfeeding should begin immediately after childbirth.

She said: “The first Breastmilk, which is colostrum, is highly nutritious and it contains antibodies that protect the newborn from diseases.

She pointed out that available data shows that only 27% of Nigerian children are exclusively breastfed; while one of the major challenges of exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria is that children are given water before they are six months old.

Mrs Buhari said: “The children who are exclusively breastfed are less likely to fall ill, thereby reducing the burden on the health system and cost of hospitalisation on the family.

“Globally, more than 800,000 children die annually because they are not properly breastfed. In Nigeria, non-breastfeeding comes with a huge cost and we cannot continue to lose our children when we can prevent such deaths using a simple cost-effective method of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their children in the first six months of life.

“There are lots of benefits of breastfeeding for the mother, child, family, community and indeed for our nation. Breastfeeding specifically contributes to the health and well-being of mother and child. It helps in child spacing and it is also known to contribute to a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancers. While it is a secure way of feeding, it is safe for the environment.

“Apart from the fact that it reduces infant mortality due to childhood diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia, it also creates a bond between the mother and child. I am therefore happy with this launch as this will go a long way in improving the nutritional indices in Nigeria.

“Let me affirm my commitment to align with all relevant stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the Zero Water Campaign through my Future Assured Programme.”