Exclusive Breastfeeding Fundamental Rights Of Every Child –UNICEF

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, September 1st, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As the low level of exclusive breastfeeding practice among nursing mothers continues unabated in Nigeria, the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has stressed the importance of such natural food to newborn babies, saying it’s their fundamental right to be exclusively breastfed for six months and upward of two years.

While urging nursing mothers to stop shying away from the natural demand for practice, the Child and mother friendly international body solicited the support and partnership of the media in promoting the all important practice for the benefit of children and society at large.

Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu, stated this while welcoming participants at a two-day Zonal Media Dialogue on World Breastfeeding to Drive Nigeria’s Nutrition Zero Water Campaign for Improved Exclusive Breastfeeding by nursing Mothers for Infants organized for four States within her area of jurisdiction .

The event which took place at the Agulu lake Resort and conference center, Anambra state ended Tuesday and was attended by participants from Enugu, Benue, Cross River and Anambra states.

Mrs. Chiluwe, expressed worry over the poor level of mothers practising exclusive breastfeeding in the contemporary society, stressing the need for all and sundry, particularly the media to be at the forefront in changing the narrative as well as close the gap.

According to Chiluwe, exclusive breastfeeding practice is very vital because of its enormous health and other benefits to every newborn child and the mother, urging the media to always give the issue the attention it deserves.

She said: “the media has a key role to play to close the gap. The target is that every child is exclusively breastfed, because it is a key contribution to the growth of the nation.

The UNICEF Chief of field office Enugu boss, declared that “It is a fundamental right of every child to be breastfed. It is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.”

Mrs. Chiluwe, however, assured that UNICEF will not relent in it’s effort towards promoting the practice for the good of newborns, their mother and society.

In his speech, Commissioner for Health, Anambra state, Dr. Afam Ben Obidike who applauded UNICEF for it’s numerous intervention programmes in South East Nigeria, posited that the

importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the life newborns cannot be overemphasized.

He averred that the effort towards closing the gap on exclusive breastfeeding must also involve the public and private hospitals with a view to ensuring it is far-reaching.

The Commissioner said the state through his ministry is fully committed in promoting the practice adding that “we must take delibrate steps to ensure that mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of deliver. In Anambra state we are on the verge of having that as a policy.”

Outlining objectives of the programme, Communications Officer, UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Dr. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe explained said it was a dialogue with Journslists and On Air Personslities OAP aimed at having the participants champion the quest to ensure zero water for babies in the first six months after delivery and ensure the subsequent breastfeeding of babies for two years.

She equally noted that only nine percent of organisations had workplace breastfeeding policy, pointing out that the media remains keys to the campaign to change the narrative and drive up the data on breastfeeding in order to push the all important Zero Water Campaign for the good newborns and their mothers.

The Communications officer, stressed further that “we must also bring to the fore the fact that the type of work or trade we practice as mothers must not hamper the breastfeeding of our babies.”

In a presentation, tagged: “Closing the Gap-Breastfeeding Support for All”, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mrs. Ngozi Onuora joined other speakers in emphising the importance of breast milk in the life of babies, saying it is a powerful life-saver and “it is very critical to the long term health and wellbeing of both the mother and the child.”

She expressed concern that only 36 percent of mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria, saying the situation should be a source of worry for all.

“Because the data from the states present at this meeting clearly indicated that none of the states is doing well.” She stated.

Despite the unimpressed situation, Dr. Onuora, expressed the hope that the media dialogue would help the Journalists alert policy makers of the inequalities and gaps that exist in the area of exclusive breastfeeding “which is critical to the health of the child and the mother.

She said: “We must build the nutritional status of the child by starting with exclusive breastfeeding because a child with a compromised immune system will not be safe even when given vaccine.”

Also making a presentation , Deputy Vice Chancellor DVC of Paul University Awka, Anambra state, Professor. Stella Okunna described the media as a change agent, capable of changing the poor exclusive breastfeeding narrative in the country.

The DVC, who is the first female professor of mass Communication in Nigeria, therefore, tasked the madia to rise up and take the challenge to convince mothers on the far-reaching benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

She said though, the challenge is a daunting one, but sounmountable through the media.

“This is a battle that must be fought by the madia. We have the powers to do it. No other profession has that. It is a battle we must win to ensure exclusive breastfeeding for our children.”

Prof. Okunna noted the fundamental role of the media in agenda setting, urging practitioners to adopt known strategies including gatekeeping, status and legitimacy conferral among others to achieve the goal.

Our Correspondent writes that the two day programme was also attended by senior health officers, such as head of state primary Health care Development Agencies and permanent Secretaries from the four states