The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) have called for equal access to breastfeeding support in Nigeria for a healthy child growth and development.
They stated that in the last 12 years, the number of infants under six months of age who are exclusively breastfed in Nigeria has increased by more than 10 per cent.
UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, in a Press release issued and made available to Journalists yesterday said that “Today, 34 percent of infants in Nigeria benefit from this healthy start in life, translating to
hundreds of thousands of babies whose lives have been saved by breastfeeding.
While this significant leap brings us closer to the Word Health Organization target of
increasing exclusive breastfeeding to at least 50 per cent by 2025, there are persistent
challenges that must be addressed.
The release also added that “This World Breastfeeding Week, under the theme “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support
for all,” UNICEF and WHO are emphasizing the need to improve breastfeeding support as a
critical action for reducing health inequity and protecting the rights of mothers and babies to survive and thrive.
“Breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong health and well-being. It is a simple, cost effective, and natura way to provide infants with the nutrients they need for heathy growth and development”, said UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative.
“However, despite its proven benefits, exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria remain low.
Many mothers face cultural, social, and practical barriers that prevent them from breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of their child’s life”.
The release also stated that “During this critical period of early growth and development, the antibodies in breast milk protect babies against illness and death.
“This is especially important during emergencies, when breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious, and accessible food source for infants and young children.Breastfeeding reduces the burden of childhood illness, and the risk of certain types of cancers and non communicable diseases for mothers”.
In Nigeria, key gaps in breastfeeding support include insufficient maternity leave policies, lack of workplace support, and inadequate access to breastfeeding education and services, particularly in rural areas. Only seven states offer the recommended 24 weeks of paid maternity leave, and many women return to work without the necessary support to
continue breastfeeding.
To close these gaps, the government, employers, healthcare providers, and communities
need to collaborate. Policies should be enacted to extend paid maternity eave, create
breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and provide comprehensive breastfeeding education and
support services.
This year, UNICEF is supporting Nigeria in setting the world record for the highest number
of lactating mothers breastfeeding simultaneously. 30,000 mothers wil breastfeed their babies across all 36 states in Nigeria and the FCT on August 1st, 2024. This initiative not
only aims for a record but also seeks to draw attention to the importance of breastfeeding,
as well as challenge harmful nutrition norms and practices, specifically the introduction of
water and other pre-lacteal feeds during the first six months of a baby’s life.
To support progress, data needs to be available on policy actions that make breastfeeding
possible such as family friendly employment policies, regulation of the marketing of
breast milk substitutes,and investment in breastfeeding.Improvingmonitoring systems will
help boost the effectiveness of breastfeeding policies and programmes, inform better
decision-making,and ensure support systems can be adequately financed.
The release further stated that “When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to
breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility. Families, communities, healthcare
workers, policymakers, and other decision-makers all play a central role by Increasing investment in programmes and policies that protect and support
breastfeeding through dedicated national budgets.
“By Implementing and monitoring family friendly workplace policies, such as paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks and access to affordable and good-quality childcare. END
