Poised to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of society , the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Rivers State Chapter has called for the strengthening of the capacity of actors who make up the warm chain of support for breastfeeding.
This was contained in a statement signed the association’s Chairperson and Secretary Susan Serekara-Nwikhana and Dr Ngozi Anosike respectively to mark this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
The association noted that Governments at all levels, health systems, workplaces and communities should be well informed,educated and empowered so as to strengthen their capacities to provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments.
The association also stressed the need to encourage women to breastfeed their children for a certain period, at least two years after birth adding that how and what is fed to children in their first two years of life has a particularly significant bearing on their survival, growth, and overall development.
Blaming the surge in the infant mortality rate on the drop in the number of mothers who do exclusive breastfeeding, it maintained that breastfeeding has a significant impact on the health of a mother and baby and chronicled the advantages of the process.
NAWOJ further called for proper education of the nursing mothers on several facts regarding breastfeeding, including what nursing mothers should eat, when they should feed their children, amongst other things.
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is observed from August 1st to 7th every year.
