Series of training on nutrition, advocacy and workshops organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with the Enugu State Primary Health Development Agency on exclusive breastfeeding in Enugu State have started yielding good results in the rural communities in the state; BusinessDay has learnt.
Our correspondent, who monitored this year’s breastfeeding week with the theme ‘Protect Breastfeed: A Shared Responsibility,’ flagged off in Enugu State in August, noticed that many women in rural communities like Awgu and Aniniri Local Government Areas are happy complying with exclusive breastfeeding.
Some women who spoke with our correspondent said that the practice has drastically reduced frequency to the health clinics and even hospitalisation in terms of health of the newborn babies.
Henrietta Ugwu, the state nutrition officer Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, who also spoke to BusinessDay about the increase in the patronage of breastfeeding in rural areas, said that it did not just come easy, but as a result of several efforts of partners like the UNICEF and others. She pointed out that nutrition was now wearing a new lens in Enugu State.
Ugwu emphasised that today nutrition is no longer seen as the business of Ministry of Health alone, but a multi-sectoral discipline and no longer limited to a particular sector, adding that “this is so because without nutrition no human being can survive”.
Read also: UNICEF advocates for favourable policy for exclusive breastfeeding
She commended UNICEF for being in the forefront in all activities involved in the development of children and mothers with particular reference to nutrition currently in Enugu State.
Apart from the activities of UNICEF, Enugu State last year also commissioned a committee on food and nutrition aimed at taking nutrition to various ministries. The committee is made up of representatives from different ministries.
Enugu State government has also trained about one thousand, eight hundred and seventy five (1,875) health workers, volunteers, from the 17 local government areas through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHDA) to ensure effective sensitisation on the importance of exclusive breast feeding in rural communities.
Ugwu explained that breast milk is complete and an ideal food for a new born baby, urging Nursing mothers to practise early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of delivery, and exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months (0-6months) without giving the baby water, other liquids or solid.
She also advised that the nursing mother should introduce adequate complementary foods in six months while continuing to breastfeed the baby up to two years (2 years) and beyond.
