By Dare Akogun
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pledged continuous collaboration with the Niger government to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Mrs Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said this at a symposium to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week, entitled: “Step Up Breastfeeding Educate and Support’’ in Minna on Thursday.
She explained that UNICEF had supported the state on maternal infant and young child feeding practices at communities and exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
“After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, the mother will introduce appropriate complementary food for the child and still breastfeed the child for 24 months and beyond.
This support is ongoing in 14 local government areas and we have trained community volunteers who have been going house-to-house to explain these practices to them,” she said.
Ezeife noted that UNICEF in collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the state Primary HealthCare Development Agency would embark on community dialogue with traditional and religious leaders on their roles to support women to breastfeed.
“This support is ongoing in 14 local government areas and we have trained community volunteers who have been going house-to-house to explain these practices to them,” she said.
Ezeife noted that UNICEF in collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the state Primary HealthCare Development Agency would embark on community dialogue with traditional and religious leaders on their roles to support women to breastfeed.
She added that the organisation would partner the state primary healthcare development agency to improve capacity of health workers on how they could support mothers to embrace breastfeeding.
Earlier in her presentation on importance of breastfeeding, Dr Aisha Musa, a paediatrician at the Minna General Hospital, urged nursing mothers not to deny their babies from sucking the first breast milk immediately after childbirth.
