The Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike has urged Ndi Anambra to become advocates of exclusive breastfeeding and support mothers to practice it in order to reduce infant maternal morbidity and mortality.
The Commissioner made the call during a press briefing held in Awka.
World breastfeeding week is celebrated annually from first to seventh August in more than one hundred and twenty countries, including Nigeria.
This is done to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of children across the globe and commemorates the innocent declaration signed in 1990 by government policy makers, United Nations Children’s Fund and organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Dr. Obidike represented by the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Chioma Ezenyimulu explained that the 2022 world breastfeeding week with the theme “STEP UP FOR BREASTFEEDING ‘, Educate and Support aims to inform and empower the actors in order to strengthen their capacity to provide and sustain breastfeeding friendly environment for families in the post pandemic world so that the state can step up for breastfeeding.
The Commissioner disclosed that the essence of the celebration is to inform people about their role in strengthening the warm chain of support for breastfeeding, anchor breastfeeding as part of good nutrition, food security among others.
Dr. Obidike further said that already Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency has conducted sensitization meeting for health care providers and breastfeeding support groups on appropriate infant and young child feeding practices and code of marketing of breast milk substitute in three senatorial zones in the state among other innovations aimed at encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, which is giving only breast milk till the baby is six months.
In her remarks, the Executive Director for Social and Integral Development Center in Anambra State, Mrs. Ugochi Iheahuruike commended the officials of Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency for being at the Vanguard of promoting exclusive breastfeeding, which she described as a veritable means towards eradication of childhood malnutrition in all ramifications.
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