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From Paul Orude, Bauchi and Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on governments and other stakeholders at national and state levels to support breastfeeding mothers in the formal and informal sectors exclusively breastfeed their babies.
The call was made by the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Nigeria Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Tushar Rane, at a press conference to mark the World Breastfeeding Week 2023. He warned that babies who not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before they reach their first birthday than babies who are exclusively breastfed.
Rane said there was need for government and other stakeholders to work and promote policies that encourage exclusive breastfeeding. He listed such measures to include paid maternity leave for six months, paternity leave and flexible return-to-work options for parents with new-born babies.
He explained that regular lactation breaks during working hours and adequate facilities that enable mothers to continue exclusive breastfeeding for six months are also a sure way of supporting breastfeeding.
Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, said the state has moved in collaboration with lawmakers in the state to enact a law that would provide for the extension of three months maternity leave to six months paid leave for working mothers in both private and public sectors to encourage exclusive breastfeeding in the state.
He said plans and preparations for the development of the proposed bill for enactment by the state House of Assembly are in top gear.
“We are working to support breastfeeding mothers to properly care for infants and young children in Bauchi State,” he said.
Chairman, House Committee on Health, Lawal Dauda, said the proposed law, would promote best breastfeeding practices and save the lives of children under the age of five.
The state lawmaker explained that the move became necessary following request by stakeholders and international partners to extend maternity leave to support promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and healthy children in the state.
The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year to reiterate the importance of breast feeding for children, mother’s and socioeconomic development.
The 2023 WBW had as theme “Enabling breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents, brings attention to workplace breastfeeding.”
