By Musa Tijjani
Only 44 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed by their mothers in the first six months, which falls far short of the global targets of 50 percent by 2025.
The officer-in-charge (OIC), UNICEF Field Office Kano, Mr. Micheal Banda, stated this during the media dialogue organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Abubakar Rimi Television Kano, to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week 2021, at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano State.
Banda said breastfeeding plays an important role in the life of the child, and experts assert that the first breastmilk a child receives when it is born is indeed its first immunisation.
The UNICEF officer added that amongst the key messages to all stakeholders is that it is safe to continue breastfeeding even if a mother is suspected, or confirmed positive, to have Covid-19.
Women currently breastfeeding or providing expressed milk can receive the Covid-19 vaccines, he added.
In his remarks, the Communication Specialist, UNICEF Nigeria Kano Field Office, Mr. Samuel Kaalu, who spoke on the media dialogue objectives, urged the participants to join the global community campaign to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week 2021,
“The participants were sensitized on the importance of breastfeeding and now have information to focus on it in their stories, programmes and other media products, Kaalu added.
In a joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gyebreyesus stated that at the start of this year, government, donors, civil society and the private sector united to launch the Nutrition for Growth Year Action.
While breastfeeding is central to realizing this commitment, There has been a progress in breastfeeding rates in the last four decades with a 50% increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding globally said UNICEF/WHO.
The fora hosted media practitioners, freelancers, journalists from different media outlets as well as the senior journalists, notably amongst which are the representative of the Director-General Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV) and Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Hajiya Saa Ibrahim; The Deputy Director, Family Health, Kano State Primary Health Care Management Agency, Dietician Murtala Inuwa, amongst others.
The Theme for the World Breastfeeding Week 2021 (WBFW) is: Protect Breastfeeding: A shared responsibility, and it categorically focuses attention on the role everyone should play in supporting breastfeeding at all levels, including community and family levels, with a special focus on reiteration of covid 19 messages to enhance breastfeeding.
