Elizabeth Alonge, Founder and Executive Director of Child Health Advocacy Initiative, advocates for creating breastfeeding-friendly environments in healthcare facilities, workplaces, and communities to support lactating mothers.
She identifies barriers to breastfeeding in Nigeria, including lack of access to accurate information, insufficient support, and cultural beliefs.
Alonge also challenges the stigma surrounding public breastfeeding, calling for lactation rooms in offices and public spaces to normalize and support breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding can be promoted and encouraged by promoting breastfeeding education and awareness, organising community outreach programs and workshops to educate mothers and families about the importance of breastfeeding and this should be done using local languages and contexts to communicate the benefits of breastfeeding.
“Engage community leaders and influencers, support breastfeeding-friendly environments by encouraging employers to provide lactation rooms and flexible work arrangements for breastfeeding mothers, engage husbands and family members in breastfeeding education and support, and encourage them to be involved in caring for the baby,” Alonge said.
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is observed from August 1st to 7th to promote awareness and benefits of breastfeeding, with this year’s theme being “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) jointly called for improved global breastfeeding rates, noting that only 48% of infants worldwide have been exclusively breastfed in the past 12 years.
WHO and UNICEF recommend early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for optimal growth and development.
The Executive Director of Child Health Advocacy Initiative (CHAI) emphasized the crucial role healthcare providers play in promoting and supporting breastfeeding, as they are trusted sources of information for mothers and families, and can significantly influence breastfeeding rates in the country.
“Healthcare providers can educate mothers about the importance of breastfeeding during prenatal visits, setting the stage for a successful breastfeeding experience. They can ensure that mothers receive proper support and guidance in the immediate postpartum period, when breastfeeding is established and offer ongoing support and guidance to mothers throughout the breastfeeding journey, helping to address any challenges or concerns that may arise,” she added.
Elizabeth Alonge, a child advocate, encouraged healthcare providers to champion hospital policies that facilitate breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and rooming-in.
She also advocated for additional lactation consultants and peer counselors, the creation of breastfeeding educational materials in local languages, and the formation of community-based and online support groups to empower breastfeeding mothers.
She added, “Collaborate with healthcare providers to provide lactation support and resources. Provide access to breast pumps and other breastfeeding equipment. Support research on lactation and breastfeeding in Nigeria. Develop and implement policies that support breastfeeding in the workplace and public spaces.
“Engage with community leaders and influencers to promote breastfeeding and lactation support. Leverage technology to provide virtual lactation support and resources. Continuously monitor and evaluate lactation support and resources in rural areas to identify gaps and improve services.”
The CHAI founder highlighted that despite several policies and programs to promote and support infant and young child feeding practices, malnutrition and early childhood feeding-related diseases and mortality remain significant public health concerns in Nigeria.
“The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was introduced in 1992; the National Breastfeeding Policy was introduced in 1998; the National Policy on Food and Nutrition was introduced in 2001; the National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding was introduced in 2005.
“Despite these initiatives, seven out of 36 states provide six months fully paid maternity leave; only 34 per cent of children aged zero to six months are exclusively breastfed; Women in the informal sector have nearly no support for breastfeeding,” Alonge mentioned.
Elizabeth Alonge acknowledged that Nigeria is still far from achieving the World Health Assembly’s goal of 70% breastfeeding rate by 2030.
However, she highlighted efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health, in partnership with the World Bank and other stakeholders, to strengthen support for maternal, infant, and young child nutrition through training programs that will trickle down to local health workers.
Additionally, Alonge advocated for stricter regulations and restrictions on the marketing of infant formula to prevent it from undermining breastfeeding practices.
