The Lagos State Government has encouraged mothers to adopt exclusive breastfeeding in conjunction with the upcoming 2024 World Breastfeeding and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition Week.
Highlighting the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding in promoting optimal development in infants, the government emphasized that breastfeeding is the most convenient and cost-effective way to nourish babies, thereby safeguarding the family’s finances and creating a protective environment.
Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, revealed this information during a press briefing on Wednesday regarding the government’s readiness for the activities scheduled for the week.
Ogunyemi mentioned that the government would introduce measures focused on encouraging exclusive breastfeeding and enhancing health-seeking behaviors, especially among mothers and children under five.
World Breastfeeding Week is an annual event held from August 1 to 7 to raise awareness and prompt action on the significance of breastfeeding. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, this week is observed in honor of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration.
The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund recommend that infants should begin breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and continue to be exclusively breastfed for the initial six months of their lives.
WHO affirms that breastfeeding offers all the necessary energy and nutrients for infants in the first few months of life, contributing significantly to optimal growth and development, thereby increasing the chances of survival.
This year’s celebration theme is “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.”
The Special Adviser stressed that the planned week-long activities would have a profound impact, with comprehensive training and preparation of all 329 primary healthcare centers, 752 mobile teams, and more than 3,000 health workers on effective implementation strategies.
She highlighted, “Breastfeeding practice also preserves the environment and conserves financial resources for the family and the society. Breastfeeding practice makes the world a more secure place, as studies have shown that breastfed babies exhibit appropriate behaviour during adulthood.
“Lagos State will be joining other states of the Federation and FCT to commemorate the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week by holding a ground-breaking breastfeeding campaign, where over 36,000 women will be mobilised to breastfeed their children at midday across the country during the week. The theme for 2024 World Breastfeeding Week is ‘Closing the Gap, Breastfeeding Support for All.”
Continuing, Ogunyemi mentioned, “This theme speaks to every support needed by a lactating mother to encourage her to adequately breastfeed her baby. This support must be given by every stakeholder, the baby’s father, grandmother, religious and community leaders, employers, colleagues, friends, etc.
“The objectives of 2024 World Breastfeeding Week are the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding from the first six months of life, shift harmful norms and practices, combat social stigma, and support the growth and development of babies through the commission of critical nutrients.”
She revealed that mobile teams would visit creches, schools, and playgrounds to administer deworming tablets and vitamin A to eligible children.
“The MNCAH+N Week is a week set aside by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with the 36 states of the federation to improve the provision of preventive, promotive, high-impact, but cost-effective maternal and child health interventions,” she stated.
She revealed that the 2024 Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition (MNCAH+N) Week, set for August 1-7, 2024, aligns with World Breastfeeding Week, prompting the government to conduct both events simultaneously.
