Yobe sensitises breastfeeding mothers to reduce malnutrition

Yobe state government said it has commenced statewide sensitization of mothers on exclusive breastfeeding to reduce malnutrition among children in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Baba Malam Wali, disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the activities to mark World Breastfeeding Week.

The SSG noted that the advocacy is to demonstrate government’s commitment toward combating high rate of malnutrition and other negative indices to improve health status of Yobe children.

“Exclusive breastfeeding would prevent hunger and malnutrition in all its forms and ensure food security for babies even in time of crisis.

“It’s one of the best investments in saving lives and improving the health, social and economic development of individuals and nations”, he said.

He said that government had designed and implemented numerous income generating activities to strengthen women’s economic power across the state.

“Our administration has been training women in various skills, provided them with starter kits to help them generate income. Some were also given agricultural support to improve food security among vulnerable people in the society”, he said.

Wali assured the willingness of governor Mai Mala’s administration to partner and support any initiative by Non-governmental organisations and private sector for general improvement of breastfeeding mothers and husbands through policy direction and interventions.

Earlier, the Executive secretary, Yobe State Primary Healthcare Board, Mohammed Lawan Gana, said that one of the best strategies to ensure healthy children is to exclusively breastfeed them.

He said the state government had been implementing policies and programs in that direction to ensure women exclusively breastfeed their children within the first 30 minutes of delivery to six months of life.

“Early engagement had commenced in the state to provide adequate time for working women to safely deliver and have to their children exclusively breastfed. No rule should stop mothers from breastfeeding their children”, he said.

He assured that women in both rural and urban communities are completely supported under the administration of Hon. Mai Mala Buni

“Government is committed to make it easy for families/women to take care of their health and wellbeing,” he added.