From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
The Katsina State government on Thursday joined the global movement to encourage exclusive breastfeeding for babies 0-six months with the launch of, “Stronger With Breastmilk Only” campaign.
The programme held at the palace of the District Head of Mashi, Mashi Local Government Area, Alhaji Kabir Aminu Ibrahim, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Speaking at the launch, the Executive Secretary, the State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr.
Shamsudeen Yahaya, said that, “babies do not need water before they are six months old, not even in hot climate.”
Moreover, according to him, “breastfed children have at least six times greater chances of survival in the early months than non-breastfed children.
“An exclusively breastfed child is 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child.
“Breastfeeding should be done on demand, at least six times in 24 hours, with appropriate positioning and attachment, day and night.
“Exclusive breastfeeding at zero to six months and continuous breastfeeding up to two years have proven to increase survival rates.
I would like to urge all women and men to appreciate, practise and support the practice and spread the good message to promote appropriate breastfeeding.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the UNICEF Nutrition Manager, Elhadji Issakha Diop, noted that,
“despite the compelling evidence that breastfeeding contributes substantially to improved child survival and development, key messages have not reached communities and the overall nutritional status of children in Katsina State has only slightly improved over the last decade.
“The state is still among the country’s highest child mortality rates, stunting prevalence as well as some of the lowest rates of many recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.”
Describing breastfeeding as the “the single most powerful means to fight poverty and disease,” Diop added that, “maternal benefits of breastfeeding include decreased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, postpartum depression, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.”