The Ebonyi Government has solicited the support of the media towards its sensitisation programme on breastfeeding.
Mrs Beatrice Nkama, Coordinator, Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI), Ministry of Health, Ebonyi, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abakaliki.
Nkama said that initiating a child on breast milk for the first six months of birth, serves as first immunisation and food that a child receives.
The coordinator also sought support from the Break Through Action (BTA), supported by USAID, to scale up awareness on breastfeeding.
“We need support from the Integrated Health Programme, Primary Health Care and Save One Million Lives,” she stated.
Nkama described breastfeeding as a first foundation of life, adding that mothers should always initiate a child on breastfeeding for 30 minutes to an hour after birth.
According to her, breast milk consists of fore and hindmilk which contains the quantity of water that a child needs to survive, including all nutrients a child requires for development.
“Breastfeeding helps in the exposition of the placenta after delivery. We are relying on the media to take up the campaign.
“We also need technical and financial supports from partners and NGOs, to carry out the programme effectively.
“We advocate that mothers should continue with the right complementary foods after six months with breastfeeding, till two years or beyond.
“If there is an underlined ill health, mothers are expected to breastfeed till six months exclusively and continue till 12 months, provided the mother is placed on anti-retroviral drugs for baby protection,” Nkama said. (NAN)
