KWARA FIRST LADY ADVOCATES OPTIMAL, EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING FOR BABIES

(Group photograph of the representative of the First Lady, Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Opeyemi Oluwakemi AFolashade, Partners, Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers at the flag-off of the World Breastfeeding week)

...As govt marks World Breastfeeding Week.

Kwara State First Lady, Amb. Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq has called on women, particularly nursing mothers, to ensure their children are optimally and exclusively breastfed from the first 60 minutes of birth to 6 months for mental and physical growth.

The First Lady made this call today at the launch of the World Breastfeeding Week with the theme: "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All”, a yearly activity that was organised by the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Ilorin.

Amb. AbdulRazaq urged key stakeholders, including community heads, religious and political leaders, to collaborate in advancing the awareness campaigns on the huge benefits of absolute breastfeeding and the risks of doing otherwise.

"Optimal breastfeeding practices, starting from the first 60 minutes of birth, exclusive breastfeeding which means giving breast milk only for the first 6 months of life of a child with no water added, and continuous breastfeeding for at least the first 2 years of life are so critical to the physical and mental health of a child that every mother should take very seriously", she said.

Group photograph of pregnant women and nursing mothers at the flag-off of the World Breastfeeding week

The First Lady, who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, said the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration has created an enabling environment for the state to meet the global target of 70% of women, exclusively breastfeeding by 2030.

According to her, "Our Governor was one of the first to approve the 6 months maternity leave for civil servants in the country thereby setting the stage for children to be exclusively breastfed."

Amb. AbdulRazaq added that about 300 healthcare workers have been trained on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices across the state through the Accelerating Nutrition Result in Nigeria Project – a World Bank project that supports the state upon the payment of counterpart funds by the state government. 

The First Lady explained further that the project has also provided counseling cards to health facilities across the state to help healthcare workers to emphasise optimal feeding practices during antenatal care clinics.

"This year's celebration aims to recognise breastfeeding mums, ensure they are seen and heard, and share relatable human experiences about breastfeeding and the importance of multilevel support", Amb. AbdulRazaq noted. 

“This support could be in the form of policies and attitudes that value women and breastfeeding, a breastfeeding friendly healthcare system, respect for women's autonomy and the right to breastfeed anytime and anywhere. It is also to galvanise solidarity and community support for optimal breastfeeding practices.”

The First Lady disclosed that part of activities to mark this year's event was the mobilization of 30,000 mothers, including 500 from Kwara State, who would be breastfeeding their babies across all 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory.

"This event symbolizes our collective commitment to promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding across Nigeria", the First Lady stated.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminat El-Imam, said the benefits of breastfeeding are numerous and when done righteously, it has the potential to positively impact the child and the mother.

She called on mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding, adding that the Ministry is working for more women support initiatives aimed at encouraging breastfeeding.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, said the exclusive breastfeeding rate in Kwara State is 57.6%, which she noted is the highest in the North Central zone and higher than the National average of 34.4%. 

Dr. Elelu, who was represented by the Director, Primary Healthcare System, Dr. Michael Oguntoye, said the state is poised to surpass the target of 70% by 2030 through several interventions and an enabling environment provided by Governor AbdulRazaq.

The representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Pharmacist Adebayo Bolaji, described breastfeeding as a foundation of lifelong health and well-being that every nursing mother is not expected to downplay.

"Breastfeeding is a simple, cost-effective, and natural way to provide infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development”, he said.

Dignitaries at the event included the wife of Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Mrs. Sa'adat Salihu Danladi; Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa'adatu Modibbo Kawu; Commissioner for Social Development, Hon. Olaitan Bosede Buraimoh; Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Afeez Abolore Alabi; Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Usman Yinusa Lade; Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. Adetola Salahu; Senior Special Assistant on Religious Matters (Islam), Alhaji Ibrahim Danmegoro; and Special Assistant on Drug Abuse, Prevention and Control, Hon. Aliru Olamilekan, among others.

Alade Opeyemi,

Press Secretary,

Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency.