From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), has charged mothers to breastfeed their children exclusively for six months with zero water and also upward of two years with adequate age appropriate complementary foods.
The Organization also called on health workers to ensure that new mothers initiative the child to breastfeeding within the first one hour after delivery.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe made this call while welcoming participants at a two-day Zonal Media Dialogue on World Breastfeeding to drive Nigeria’s Nutrition Zero Water Campaign for Improved Exclusive Breastfeeding by Breastfeeding Mothers for Infants, in four States of Enugu, Benue, Cross River and Anambra.
Chiluwe who noted the immense benefits of breastfeeding to the baby and the mother said while it is the fundamental right of every child to be exclusively breastfed for six months, breastfeeding is also key to the development and growth of the nation as well as essential in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The UNICEF Chief expressed concern over the low number of mothers practicing exclusive breastfeeding and called on the media to take it as a responsibility in advocating and pushing for the six months exclusive breastfeeding and zero water agenda to close the gaps and have every Nigerian child exclusively breastfed.
She said, “the media has a key role to play to close the gap. Let women know why they should breastfeed their children exclusively for six months without water and why they should initiative it within one hour after delivery.”
She also noted that “The target is that every child is exclusively breastfed. It is a key contribution to the growth of the nation. It is a fundamental right of every child to be breastfed. It is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.”
Speaking, the Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Dr. Ben Obidike, harped on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding pointing out that the effort to close the gap on exclusive breastfeeding must also involve the public and private hospitals to ensure it is it seamless achievement.
He said: “we must take deliberate steps to ensure that mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of deliver. In Anambra state we are on the verge of having that as a policy. Other states must also see this as important.”
Earlier, the Communications Officer, UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe highlighted the objectives of the meeting saying it was a dialogue with journalists, On Air Personalities and other partners to have them champion and increase awareness on the campaign for zero water for exclusively breastfed babies in the first six months after delivery and to ensure the subsequent breastfeeding of babies for two years.
The Communication Officer who also pointed out that only nine percent of organisations had a workplace breastfeeding policy noted that the media remains keys to the campaign to change the narrative and scale up the data on breastfeeding and zero Water Campaign.
While insisting that “the media must also bring to the fore the fact that the type of work or trade we practice as mothers must not hamper the breastfeeding of our babies,” she urged employer and managers yo contribute their quota in making breastfeeding and work, work by providing time and space for breastfeeding and ensuring that breastfeeding mothers have options that reduce separation from their babies after maternity leave.
Speaking on “Closing the Gap-Breastfeeding Support for All”, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, the Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Mrs. Ngozi Onuora described breast milk as a powerful life-saver and “it is very critical to the long term health and wellbeing of both the mother and the child.”
She said the promotion of “Start Strong”/ “Zero Water” Campaign was important as the breast milk contains 88 percent water, seven percent lactose, 1 percent protein and 4 percent fat, has enough water for the daily needs in the first six months of the child’s life.
“It also has anti bodies, anti allergies and other nutrients that support the overall growth and health of the child. Breastfeeding is a foundation of child survival, health and development and also beneficial for maternal health.”
Onuora noted with worry that only 36 percent of mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding in the country stressing that it should be a source of worry for all “because the data from the states present at this meeting clearly indicated that none of the states is doing well.”
She however expressed optimism that the meeting would help the media alert policy makers of the inequalities and gaps that exist in the area of exclusive breastfeeding “which is critical to the health of the child and the mother.
“We must build the nutritional status of the child by starting with exclusive breastfeeding because a child with a compromised immune system will not be safe even when given vaccine.”
The Deputy Vice Chancellor of Paul University Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna in her presentations described the media as a change agent urging them to take up the challenge to convince mothers on the far-reaching benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
She said: “This is a battle that must be fought by the media. We have the powers to do it. It is a battle we must win to ensure exclusive breastfeeding for our children.”
Prof. Okunna who noted the fundamental role of the media in agenda setting urged practitioners to adopt known strategies including gatekeeping, status and legitimacy conferral, social mobilization among others to achieve the goal.