How poor funding, insecurity prevented Borno from achieving breastfeeding target

The World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have lamented that Borno State has been lagging behind in achieving breastfeeding global targets for the past three years owing to poor project funding and insecurity.

Joseph Senesie, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, who stated this in Maiduguri on Friday, therefore, canvased support from the State actors and partners to tackle the gaps in breastfeeding.

UNICEF requested Borno State to enact the CODE of breastfeeding for the promotion of breastfeeding among infants and young children in the State.

“I was looking at the data from 2021 to 2023. I noticed that we have been down, in 20121 we were 49.1 percent; in 2022 we went down to 44.67 percent, and then in 2023 we further went down to 35.6 percent.

“So in 2021 we were less than 1 percent of achieving the global targets of an hour breastfeeding of 50 percent. For 2024 we hope the trend will change.

“It is high time for all of us to commit to inspire, empower and educate mothers on the importance of breastfeeding to infants and provide all the support needed by mothers regardless of their socio-economic status for the protection and promotion of optimal breastfeeding practices”, he said.

Also, Salisu Audu, the WHO State Coordinator in Borno Field Office, raised concerns about the alarming gaps in breastfeeding support in the conflict-affected areas in the State.

He explained the dire situation, saying millions of mothers were being denied the basic right to breastfeed, leaving their babies vulnerable to life-threatening diseases and acute-malnutrition.

He said, “We must work together to create a world where every mother can breastfeed with confidence and dignity. Every mother deserves support to give her child the best possible start in life”, he said.

Speaking on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Day, Falmata Babagana Zulum, wife of Borno State governor, called on the Government, healthcare providers, and community leaders to work together to create an enabling environment for breastfeeding mothers.

Falmata represented by Zuwaira Gambo, the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, urged families and communities to promote breastfeeding as a vital aspect of childcare.

“We must ensure that every mother has access to the support and resources she needs to breastfeed her child. This will surely play a significant role to encourage mothers”, she said.