IN a bid to project Nigeria out of the arrays of emerging economies in the world, who have failed in Exclusive Breast Feeding (EBF), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has urged nursing mothers to stop giving infants water after delivery.
UNICEF, at a two-day media dialogue on “Breastfeeding and Global Feeding Collective” in collaboration with the Child Right Information Bureau (CRIB), which ends today in Ibadan, identified water as the greatest barrier to EBF.
The international organization lamented the 25 per cent rate of EBF in the country, which falls short of the 50 per cent target before year 2025 though the pass mark for every successful nation is 90 per cent.
It said Ondo State has the least percentage of EBF with eight per cent in a data analysis survey carried out in the South West recently, while Ekiti has the highest with over 46% and followed by Osun State with over 43%.
Meanwhile, UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Global Breastfeeding Collective had listed Nigeria among the five largest emerging economies like Mexico, China, India and Indonesia that failed on EBF.
They gave the report on Tuesday at the opening of the 2017 World Breastfeeding Week (WABA), themed: “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together,” lamenting that the failure leads to $119 billion economic losses and an estimated 236, 000 child deaths per year.
But the media programme, according to Mrs Blessing Ejiofor and Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF Communication Officer and Specialist respectively, would create opportunities in EBF media advocacy for children’s well-being and survival.
Ejiofor said media practitioners should endeavour to hold government accountable to its responsibility to promote breastfeeding and develop an effective work plan on EBF to achieve a steep rise.
She said it would also achieve “Media advocacy for leveraging resources for breastfeeding (financial and non-financial resources), i.e, policies on duration of maternity leave, compulsory establishment of crèches in both public and private sector.”
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Akure, Mr. Tejinder Sadhu, alongside the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Mrs Ada Ezeogu, stressed that breastfed children have at least six times greater chance of survival in the early months than non-breastfed.
They disclosed too that the breastfed are 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed, declaring that an estimated of 13% of child deaths could be averted if 90% mothers practice EBF.
Ezeogwu, who listed the multifarious benefits and importance of EBF, revealed further that of all the eight effective interventions for child mortality like zinc, clean delivery, insecticide nets and breastfeeding; said the latter has the highest impact percentage.
She identified water as the greatest barrier to exclusive breastfeeding in the country, noting that the breast contains more than enough water for the survival and healthy growth of the child.
The nutritionist advised nursing mothers to inculcate early EBF initiation within the first 30 minutes of delivery, urging them to desist from giving them water for the next six months and rely on the nutrition benefits of colustrum.
“The greatest barrier to exclusive breastfeeding in Nigeria is water. Don’t give water for the first six months of life,” she said.
Ezeogwu affirmed that the breast milk contains over 88% of water, 3.8% of fat, 0.9% of protein, 7.0% of lactose and other nutrients needed for the proper development and survival of the child border on 0.2%.
She urged “EBF for the first six months of life, appropriate complementary foods for infants over six months with continued breastfeeding for up to two years.”
The Head of CRIB, a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry of Information, Abuja, Mrs Ibiba Bello, mentioned that it is imperative for all stakeholders to rise up for the propagation.
Bello, who was represented by the Assistant Director of CRIB, Mr Olumide Osanyinpeju, added that “early breastfeeding can make the difference between life and death.
“The need to propagate breastfeeding in Nigerian families have become very urgent and important not only for the government of Nigeria but also for key partners and stakeholders.
The CRIB representative noted that active participation of stakeholders and duty-bearers would catalyze the realization of the objectives of UNICEF at advancing children’s rights and enhancing their collective well-being.
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Akingboye Joseph Oluwaseun
