Wunmi Semudara
As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, the Women Empowerment and Media Advocacy Initiative, WEMAI, has called on the federal and state governments and employers to put measures in place that ensures healthy nutrition in lactating women for healthy breast milk production.
WEMAI, in a statement issued by its Program Manager, Bukola Afeni, in commemorating the Breast Feeding Week in Abuja, identified the need for a healthy diet in women as the major drive in the growth of every child.
According to her, “We support UNICEF in advocating for breastfeeding as it is of great benefit to both the mother and the child”.
Afeni urged governments at all levels to come up with initiatives that support all lactating mothers to boost healthy breastfeeding.
She said,” Pregnant women and nursing mothers need to boost their nutrition gland to enhance the free flow of healthy breast milk, this would not be possible though if the government doesn’t seek to improve the living conditions for lactating mothers as well.”
Meanwhile, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, has called on the federal and state governments and employers to take decisive actions to ensure a supportive breastfeeding environment for all working mothers, including those in the formal and informal sectors.
She noted that improved breastfeeding practices could save over 100,000 children’s lives each year in Nigeria, and also save US$22 million in health care treatment costs related to inadequate breastfeeding, and generate an additional US$21 billion for the economy over children’s productive years by increasing cognitive capacity and preventing premature mortality in the early years.
In a message to mark the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week yesterday, Munduate said Global analysis reveals that elevating rates of exclusive breastfeeding could save the lives of an astounding 820,000 children under the age of five annually, generating an additional income of US $302 billion.
She observed that there is evidence today that every 1000 Naira invested in supporting breastfeeding can yield an estimated 35,000 Naira in economic returns for Nigeria.
Munduate stated that only 7 out of 36 states presently provide six months of fully paid maternity leave and only 34 percent of children aged 0 to 6 months are exclusively breastfed as recommended by UNICEF adding that Nigeria is still far from reaching the World Health Assembly 70 percent target by 2030.
She said, ” It is imperative to highlight the significance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of children, mothers, and society at large. Breastmilk is the first vaccine and the first food that every child receives at birth. Breastfeeding stands as a crucial pillar in safeguarding infants against life-threatening infections, supporting optimal brain development in children, and reducing the incidence of chronic childhood and maternal illnesses, ultimately lowering healthcare costs. Breastmilk is not just a super-food and vaccine, it is also a smart investment”.
While I acknowledge significant strides made in the past two decades in Nigeria to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates, it remains evident that more needs to be done.
‘Presently, women make up 20 million out of the 46 million workforce in Nigeria; 95 per cent are within the informal sector, while the formal sector only employs 5 per cent. Shockingly, only 9 per cent of organizations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, with only 1.5 per cent in the public sector.
