Stakeholders expressed concern over breastfeeding: More than 1.5 million severe malnutrition cases r
Over the weekend, stakeholders in the public health sector raised concerns about the alarming record of 1.5 million severe malnutrition cases in Kano. They emphasized the urgent need for action on breastfeeding to address this critical issue.
The stakeholders strongly urged the Kano State Government to pass legislation extending maternity leave from three to six months, especially for working mothers, to enable them to care for their babies effectively.
During the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week commemoration, the stakeholders emphasized the vital importance of exclusive breastfeeding as the foremost right of every child that should not be denied in life.
This global event, observed annually between the 1st and 7th of August, aims to highlight the significance of breastfeeding for a child's psycho-mental and cognitive development throughout their life.
Dr. Ashiru Mohammad, the Team Lead at Alive and Thrive Foundation, emphasized the critical importance of a child's first 1,000 days, highlighting that exclusive breastfeeding during infancy significantly influences the child's psychological and mental development in the future.
As the coordinator of the Bill and Melinda Gates funded foundation, he strongly advocated for substantial investments and advocacy in nutrition to ensure that women and mothers benefit from their wards' healthy lives.
The foundation is actively engaged in enhancing maternal, infant, and young child nutrition in Kano and currently implementing a project in seven Northern states aimed at alleviating the burden of malnutrition.
Mr. Rahama Farah, the UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, expressed concern over the fact that only 9 percent of Nigeria's formal sector has a workplace breastfeeding policy, which has prompted the call for change.
Speaking through the Nutrition Manager, Elhadji Diop, Mr. Farah emphasized the importance of establishing an environment that supports working parents in nurturing their children while pursuing their careers.
According to Diop, the formal sector currently employs approximately one million women, while 95% of women work in the informal sector. However, it is shocking to know that only 9% of organizations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, and this figure drops to a mere 1.5% in the public sector. Diop emphasizes the urgent need for change, advocating for the creation of an environment that supports working parents in nurturing their children while also pursuing their careers.
In a bid to enhance breastfeeding support in the workplace, UNICEF appeals to the Kano State Government to extend paid maternity leave for government employees from the current three months to six months, stressing the significance of breastfeeding.
Murtala Inuwa, the Head of Nutrition at Kano State Primary Healthcare, highlighted concerning statistics, stating that 1.5 million children in Kano suffer from stunted growth due to severe malnutrition. Additionally, approximately 108,000 children face acute malnutrition. He emphasized that without adequate feeding, coupled with exclusive breastfeeding, the situation could worsen further.
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