Report by the National Demographic Health Survey, NDHS, 2018, indicates that the country’s exclusive breastfeeding rate is just 29%, twenty – six years after the call for exclusive breastfeeding.
What is responsible for the slow rate and what’s the effect of this on babies, the family and the society at large.
It is Twenty – Six years and counting since the introduction of the exclusive breastfeeding campaign aimed at encouraging the practice which many mothers had shunned due to workplace challenges including lack of crèches or lactation rooms, mix feeding, interference by mother – in – laws, myths and misconceptions surrounding colostrum, the first milk breast milk believed to be the first immunization for a child among others.
At an online meeting put together by the Federal Ministry of Health, Alive & Thrive and other partners to commemorate this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme ” Support Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet and National sub theme: Breastfeeding and the Environment: Linkages and Opportunities in Nigeria, a Professor in the Department of Public Health Nutrition, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, PROFESSOR BEATRICE OGUNBA said breast milk is a natural product which do not contribute to gas emission.
On the impact of climate change on breastfeeding, the Team Lead, FHI 360, Alive & Thrive Initiative, Nigeria, DR UCHE RALPH OPARA noted that, breastfeeding is ecologically friendly and very economical.
A Deputy Director, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, MRS EVA EDWARDS, explained that the baby food market in Nigeria contributes to the huge wastes in the country due to its population.
DR SALMA ANAS – KOLO Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, who expressed dismay that getting the society to believe in exclusive breastfeeding has not been easy due to some challenges including cultural beliefs, as well as myths and misconceptions, said there has been some level of success.
Speaking on the role of the media, the Deputy Project Director, Breakthrough Action, Nigeria, DR SHITTU ABDU – AGUYE said revenue drive in public and private media organizations had made it difficult to air programmes on exclusive breastfeeding while wrong information about exclusive breastfeeding travels faster on the social media
A representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, DR VICTOR AJIEROH who noted that there has been a rise in early initiation of breastfeeding, stressed the need to forge ahead by implementing the guidelines and meet the one hundred and fifty target of breastfeeding.
