By Dorothy Onoja
Breastfeeding mothers in Kogi State have been charged to intensified effort in exclusive breastfeeding of their children in order to prevent them from child killer diseases to make them live a healthy life.
The State Commissioner for health Dr. Zakari Usman gave the charge in Lokoja on Monday at a press conference to mark the celebration of world Breastfeeding Week organized by ANRiN programme of the state ministry of health.
Dr. Usman who stated that the world breastfeeding week is an annual event celebrated all over the World in the first week of every month of August since 1992, lamented the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding by mothers despite its significant and benefits to children.
According to him , mothers are expected to breastfeed their children from birth to two years, maintaining exclusive breastfeed for the first six months of a child’s life .
He added that Studies have shown that children who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life are less likely to suffer from child killer diseases.
While commending the State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for his practical demonstration of political and financial commitments to health issues in the state, Dr Usman said the current administration has practically demonstrated love for the women and Children of Kogi State through ensuring that Kogi is one of the twelve states who entered into a covenant with the World Bank to improve nutrition of its citizens.
According to him, the theme of this year’s celebration “Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and Support” cannot be more timely than now , saying the theme was in consonance with the vision of the nutrition department of the state ministry of health .
He assured that the ministry, in collaboration with State Committee on Food and Nutrition will endeavour to pursue the establishment of creches in workplace in Kogi State to ease the burden of working-class mothers in easily giving their babies breast milk.
