Cross River State has recorded encouraging compliance with the early initiation of breastfeeding as health workers intensified advocacy during the ongoing 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, raising hopes of improved maternal and child nutrition indicators in the next National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).
The week-long campaign, which began on August 1 and ends on August 8, is being implemented by the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency with support from UNICEF, Latter-day Saint Charities and media partners to promote breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
A visit by our correspondent to the Primary Healthcare Centre, Ekpo Abasi, in Calabar South showed that three women delivered during the monitoring period and all initiated breastfeeding within one hour after childbirth following counselling by health workers.
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Although two of the mothers declined consent for photographs or video recordings, health workers confirmed that all three successfully commenced breastfeeding within the recommended one-hour window.
The exercise formed part of a broader statewide campaign aimed at improving infant survival, reducing childhood illnesses and encouraging optimal nutrition from birth.
Beyond health facilities, officials and media advocates extended the campaign to churches, markets and radio stations across the state to deepen public awareness on the benefits of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding.
Churches visited included Living Faith Church Headquarters, Calabar, Foursquare Gospel Church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Seventh-day Adventist Church, where worshippers were educated on the importance of supporting nursing mothers.
Health educators also took the advocacy to major markets across Calabar metropolis and surrounding communities, targeting women of childbearing age, caregivers and families with messages on exclusive breastfeeding.
Radio programmes and public enlightenment campaigns were equally deployed to reinforce the messages throughout the week.
Director of Nutrition, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Winifred Ogar, said initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth helps newborns receive colostrum—the nutrient-rich first milk—which strengthens immunity and significantly reduces the risk of neonatal infections and death. She also stressed that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months provides all the nutrients a baby needs while lowering the risk of diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition.
The 2026 World Breastfeeding Week is being observed globally under the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” with governments and health partners calling for stronger support systems for mothers at home, in health facilities, communities and workplaces.
UNICEF has also expressed concern over Nigeria’s breastfeeding indicators, noting that while most mothers breastfeed, early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding rates remain below desired levels, underscoring the need for sustained public education and community support.
Officials from the State Primary Healthcare Agency involved in the Cross River campaign expressed optimism that the state’s high level of compliance during the exercise would contribute to improved breastfeeding indicators in future national health surveys.
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