Aisha Buhari launches initiative on breastfeeding

Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari has launched two policy documents to promote and enhance optimal breastfeeding practices across the country.

They are the: Breastfeeding Advocacy Initiative and the National Social and Behaviour Change Communication Strategy for Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition.

She launched the documents yesterday in Abuja as part of activities to commemorate this year’s World Breast Feeding Week.

Mrs Buhari said breast milk provides babies with essential nutrients and antibodies that protect them from malnutrition; prevent diseases and even death. She called on employers in Nigeria to create enabling environment for breast feeding mothers through the provision of day care centres, breast feeding rooms in public places and flexible hours and other practical solutions, adding that many mothers want to breast feed for longer than they currently do.

Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said the launch of the Breastfeeding Advocacy Initiative (BAI) was aimed at attracting media coverage to the dissemination of two new research findings.

He said the Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) rate has shown only marginal increase from the very low rate of 2% in 1990 to 17% in 2013; adding that the current rate was 25% as reported in the 2014 National Nutrition and Health Surveys (NNHS).