Nigeria commemorated the 2019 World Breastfeeding Week recently in Abuja where the Wife of the President, Her Excellency, Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, launched the Zero Water Campaign. The event also saw CS-SUNN’s Executive Secretary, Beatrice Eluaka make a public presentation of CS-SUNN’s Video titled “Exclusive Breastfeeding: Changing the Nigerian Story”.
In a key note address by Her Excellency, Aisha Buhari, represented by Dr. Mrs. Mairo Al-makura, she noted that If Nigeria can stop the giving of water for the first six months of life, a milestone will be achieved in implementing exclusive breast feeding. Dr. Chris Isokpunwu. Head of Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health while making a presentation on the “Zero Water Campaign” recommended that campaigns and dissemination of information around EBF to nursing mothers through Social Media, Broadcast/Print Media, as well as Community outreaches be intensified to improve EBF rates.
Other recommendations made at the end of the event for uptake by necessary stakeholders and policy makers include:
- discouraging traditional beliefs that the water will help quench thirst in the baby.
- Government’s prioritization of exclusive breastfeeding at all levels.
- Family friendly policies on breastfeeding.
- Six months maternity leave in more states across the nation.
- Friendly environments should be created for breastfeeding mothers.
-Parental entitlements should be encouraged in both public and private sectors.
This year’s WBW has as theme “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding”.
