By Sani Idris
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) Mr Murktar Ahmed, has said that optimal breastfeeding is the building block for human capital development and essential to child survival.
Mukthar said this at a one-day strategic dialogue on the implementation of six months maternity leave and establishment of creches in work places organised by the Departments of Aid Coordination, Kaduna PBC, in collaboration with UNICEF.
He noted that breastfeeding also contribute to health and development, adding that poor Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices were major contributor to the high burden of infant and childhood morbidity and mortality.
He explained that breastfeeding children also provide all the necessary nutrients for growth, and contain important antibodies that fight against diseases which makes the child smarter.
The Commissioner further said that
mothers also benefit from breastfeeding, noting that it reduces the risk of depression, breast and ovarian cancer, saves time and money, while enhancing bond between mother and child .
“it is based on this that the Kaduna State government became one of the States to implement the WHO recommended six months paid maternity leave policy and will ensure provision of creches to aid breastfeeding mothers to continue nursing their babies even after they resume work.
“In addition to promoting the health and wellbeing of its citizens, the present administration is poised to investing in human capital development as contained in its sustained agenda.
“The sustained agenda is aimed at building and strengthening a health care system that is preventive in approach, well equipped and staffed, accessible and affordable, and oriented to deliver a decent standard of care,” he said.
In her presentation tittled “The roles of stakeholders in promoting breastfeeding”, the Director Development Aid Coodination PBC, Mrs Linda Yakubu, said breastfeeding is one of the most cost effective and impactful practice for reducing malnutrition and under five mortality.
Yakubu described breastfeeding as a human rights issue for babies and mothers, stressing that it should be protected and promoted for the benefit of both.
She therefore called on the Government and stakeholders to work together to create a breastfeeding-friedly environment for lactating mothers.
“A warm chain of support will help build an enabling environment for breastfeeding and protect parents
and families against breastmilk substitutes industry influence.
“Legislation must be enacted and upheld to protect mothers and parents right to enhanced maternity.
“Establishment of creches and lactating rooms for working mothers to sustain continous breastfeeding practices is very important,”Yakubu said.
Also, Mrs Chinwe Ezeife, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said that breast milk contains everything baby needed for the first six months of life in all the right proportions.
She added that breast milk composition changes according to babies changing needs, especially during the first month of life.
Ezeife, therefore said in view of that, Kaduna MDAs should ensure provision of creches for babies to enjoy uninterrupted six months of breastfeeding by their mothers while at working place.
She said UNICEF was working towards ensuring the provision of creches at all the MDAs become a reality.
Also, the Project Manager of Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, (ANRiN), Dr. Zainab Muhammad-Idris , said that breast milk provides optimal nutrition for babies.
She noted that It has the right amount of nutrients and easily digest and is readily available at birth.
Muhammad-Idris who is a medical practitioner, added that breastfeeding also reduces the disease burden for mothers.
She however said that to sustain breastfeeding to the appropriate time, creches must be established in MDAs to enable lactating mothers breastfeed their children during working hours.
Also, Kaduna Programme Manager of Alive and Thrive, Mrs Sarah Kwasu, said they were committed in galvanising actions on improving working conditions and relevant support for breastfeeding at work.
Similarly, Jessica Bartholomew, the State Coordinator of Civil Society Scalling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUN), said good nutrition is the bed rock of fighting malnutrition among underage Children.
She also said it reduces merternal and child mobidity.
According to Bartholomew, optimal breastfeeding is the best recommended nutrition for new born babies for up to six months as certified by experts.
Earlier, Ramatu Haruna, the Kaduna State Nutrition Officer, said the state Primary Health Care Board and the State Committee on Food and Nutrition are advocating to the state government to ensure every MDA has a creche.
She said the creches would enable lactating mothers after returning from their six months maternity leave continue to breastfeed their infants during working hours.
She noted that exclusive breastfeeding is supposed to continue after the six months to two years and beyond, adding that provision of the creches in work places woukd enable continuity in breastfeeding infants without hitch during working hours.
Haruna, however noted that the initial maternity leave for women which was three months, was extended to six months through pronouncement by the state government.
She therefore said the pronouncement needed to be made a law in the state to ensure all MDAs and private sectors have creches and allows six months of maternity leave with pay.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
