UNICEF, Bauchi Task Journalists to  Promote  Exclusive Breastfeeding

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC) has brought together journalists from five states to brainstorm on how to strengthen their capacity towards promoting awareness on exclusive breastfeeding and infant nutrition in commemoration of the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week.

The dialogue brought together media personnel from the five states  of Adamawa, Bauchi,Gombe, Plateau andTaraba to brainstorm and plan towards strategic awareness creation messages, driving messages from the theme of 2022 World Breastfeeding Week” Step Up For Breast feeding: Educate, Support.”

In a welcome remarks yesterday, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Bauchi Field Office, Philomena Irene, described media practitioners as key drivers in community sensitisation, education and mobilisation especially when it comes to behavioural change against negative practices among community members on issued of exclusive breastfeeding.

She said the media has a vital role to play by calling the attention of government and other relevant stakeholders to increase funding, to implement, monitor and enforce policies and plans that support exclusive breastfeeding.

The nutrition specialist lamented that since 2018, the UNICEF/BRC media dialogue did not hold due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, noting, however, declared that as part of the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week, the media is strategically engaged to support the dissemination of key messages on exclusive breastfeeding and infant nutrition amidst the COVID-19 era.

While urging the media to intensify campaigns and advocacy towards strengthening the national regulatory and policy environment on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, she pointed out that the media dialogue will seek to strengthen the capacity of media practitioners towards child- focused reporting, using exclusive breastfeeding approach for enhanced infant nutrition.

In his own remarks, the Managing Director, Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC), Sirajo Maaji, said the objective of the media dialogue includes using the media as advocacy channel for positive policies towards nutrition and especially exclusive breastfeeding.

Represented by BRC/UNICEF Focal Person, Umar Muhammad Shira, the Managing Director further stated that “the objective of this meeting is to strengthen the capacity of media partners towards child- focused reporting, particularly nutrition using exclusive Breastfeeding approach.”

“It is also to create awareness on the role of warm chain actors in providing safe exclusive breastfeeding”, he stated, adding that it would enable the media partners to have first hand situation of malnourished children for better and evidenced based reportage.

He expressed confidence that at the end of the media dialogue, there will be reports that will help in raising exclusive breastfeeding practices among households.