The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has urged mothers to engage in exclusive breastfeeding for newborns. This even as the agency maintained that practice increases the health status and lower the risk of ovarian cancers for mothers.
This was disclosed in a statement by the agency’s resident media consultant, Olusayo Akintola, on Sunday in Abuja.
Akintola stated that NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, gave the charge during the celebration of the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week in Lagos.
He noted that the theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.’
Stating that Adeyeye was represented by the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Eva Edwards, Akintola noted that that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended early initiation of breastfeeding. This, he said should start within one hour of a baby’s birth until the first six months.
He said, “According to DG, after the six months of exclusive breastfeeding, it should be complemented with safe and appropriate foods. While feeding continues for up to two years or beyond.
“The Director-General said breast-fed babies had stronger immunity, face lower risk of suffering many childhood illnesses and infections.
“Adeyeye added that the situation was also associated with longer-term health benefits. Which included higher Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for infants that were exclusively breastfed.
The DG maintained that the World Breastfeeding Week was celebrated annually to create awareness. And to generate support for improved breastfeeding practices for infants and young children.
Speaking at the occasion, Adeyeye said that the theme of this year’s celebration highlighted the need to improve breastfeeding support to reduce health inequities. This is with a special focus on breast feeding in times of emergencies and crises.
According to her, the theme also highlighted the need to protect the right of mothers and babies to survive and thrive.
The DG, however, pointed out that it was the collective responsibility of all to ensure that every mother received the support she needed to make breastfeeding a successful and fulfilling experience.
Adeyeye decried lack of support for women to optimally breastfeed their babies.
She cited limited access to trained personnel, empathetic and respectful health advice, and counseling throughout the woman’s breastfeeding journey as part of the challenge.
The DG, however, revealed that the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey of 2018, showed that 97 per cent of children were breastfed in Nigeria at one point or the other.
According to her, only 42 per cent of the children were breastfed within one hour of birth.
The NAFDAC boss further disclosed that the proportion of children 0 to 6 months who were exclusively breastfed is 29 per cent.
She said, “The 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey puts the figure for exclusive breastfeeding at approximately 34 per cent.”
Adeyeye, however, expressed delight that both figures showed improvement in national exclusive breastfeeding figures from the previous 17 per cent.
That notwithstanding, she said that the figure still fell short of the WHO’s target of increasing exclusive breastfeeding rate to at least 50 per cent by the year 2025.
‘’This, therefore, calls for action from all of us in our respective capacities as breastfeeding actors to accelerate progress and scale optimal breastfeeding practices in order to achieve the global target.
“Mothers need support like food supplementation, from the health system, family members, community members, and from the workplace. This support is critical to the success of breastfeeding,” she said.
Adeyeye noted that breastfeeding played a significant role in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3. Which address ending hunger, improving nutrition and promoting health and wellbeing.
She further disclosed that breastfeeding was one of the critical pathways to reducing under-five mortality. She described it the baby’s first food system.
source: NAN
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