Franka Osakwe
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Media Coalition Against child Malnutrition (MeCAM) have declared exclusive breastfeeding the key to fight child malnutrition.
Speaking ahead of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Week, which commenced August 1 through August 7, The Communication Specialist at UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Geoffrey Njoku, charged MeCAM members to help educate the public particularly mothers, on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months without fluid or food.
In a related development, the National Coordinator, MeCAM Nigeria, Mr. Remmy Nweke, assured that the media advocacy group, especially at this era of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) would offer its best on the breastfeeding campaign.
Nweke quoted the World Health Organisation WHO experts as saying that the World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in over 170 countries to inspire breastfeeding and improve the health of babies across the world.
Breastfeeding, WHO noted, is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need.
Also, WHO recommended exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old.
“Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond,” WHO officials pointed out.
Noteworthy, Nweke said, is that in September 2015, the world’s leaders committed to 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring prosperity.
“Together, they form the Sustainable Development Goals. We all have a part to play in achieving these goals by 2030,” he declared.
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The World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share.
