August 02, (THEWILL) – The World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have lamented that Borno state has been lagging in achieving breastfeeding global targets for the past three years.
Speaking, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie, canvased support from the state actors and partners to tackle the gaps in breastfeeding.
“I was looking at the data from 2021 to 2023. I noticed that we have been down, in 2021 we were 49.1 percent; in 2022 we went down to 44.67 percent, and then in 2023 we further went down to 35.6 percent. So in 2021, we were less than 1 percent from achieving the global target of an hour breastfeeding of 50 percent. For 2024 we hope the trend will change.
“It is high time for all of us to commit to inspire, empower and educate mothers on the importance of breastfeeding to infants and provide all the support needed by mothers regardless of their socio-economic status for the protection and promotion of optimal breastfeeding practices”, he said.
UNICEF requested that Borno State enact the CODE of breastfeeding for the promotion of breastfeeding among infants and young children in Borno State.
Also, the WHO State Coordinator in the Borno Field Office, Dr Salisu Audu, raised concerns about the alarming gaps in breastfeeding support in the conflict-affected areas in the state.
He noted that millions of mothers are being denied the basic right to breastfeed, leaving their babies vulnerable to life-threatening diseases and acute malnutrition.
He said, “We must work together to create a world where every mother can breastfeed with confidence and dignity. Every mother deserves support to give her child the best possible start in life”, he said.
Speaking on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Day on Thursday, Hajiya Falmata Babagana Zulum called on the government, healthcare providers, and community leaders to work together to create an enabling environment for breastfeeding mothers.
Falmata, represented by the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Zuwaira Gambo, urged families and communities to promote breastfeeding as a vital aspect of childcare.
“We must ensure that every mother has access to the support and resources she needs to breastfeed her child. This will surely play a significant role in encouraging mothers”, she promised.
I am Ladi Dapson, a general writer with thewill. I cover Borno and Yobe states respectively.
I based Maiduguri, Borno State Capital.
I can be reached via [email protected].
Very high and kind regards!
