UNICEF, Alive & Thrive partner FG to promote optimal breastfeeding

Determined to promote optimal breastfeeding practices for enhanced child survival in Nigeria, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Alive & Thrive, CS-SUNN, Action Against Hunger and Nutrition International, will partner the Federal Ministry of Health on several key initiatives to raise awareness on exclusive breastfeeding across the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.

The week-long event is part of activities marking 2019 World Breastfeeding week, scheduled to take place in Abuja on August 6, 2019, with the theme, “Empower Parents, Enable breastfeeding.”

It will be hosted by Alive & Thrive, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) managed by FHI 360, and funded by the Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation, Irish Aid, the Tanoto Foundation, and UNICEF.

Chris Osa Isokpunwu, head of Nutrition and SUN Focal Point, Federal Ministry of Health, says the campaign aims to address maternity protection, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding.

Isokpunwu, who observes that certain cultural practices and lack of support for parents at work stand in the way of optimal breastfeeding, says immediate return to paid-work by mothers after childbirth is one of the main reasons for early cessation of breastfeeding as only 9 percent of organisations have workplace breastfeeding policy.

He says this year’s celebration will advocate for parental social protection policies and legislation; parent-friendly workplaces in both formal and informal sectors, and parent-friendly values as well as gender-equitable social norms.