World Breastfeeding Week: UNICEF, WHO Call for Equal Access to Breastfeeding Support

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) have called for equal access to breastfeeding support in Nigeria for healthy child growth and development.
UNICEF and WHO stated that in the last 12 years, the number of infants under six months of age, who were exclusively breastfed in Nigeria, had increased by more than 10 per cent.

UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, in a press release made available to journalists yesterday, said, “Today, 34 per cent of infants in Nigeria benefit from this healthy start in life, translating to hundreds of thousands of babies whose lives have been saved by breastfeeding.
“While this significant leap brings us closer to the World Health Organisation target of increasing exclusive breastfeeding to at least 50 per cent by 2025, there are persistent challenges that must be addressed.”

The release added that during, “This World Breastfeeding Week, under the theme, “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all,” UNICEF and WHO were emphasising the need to improve breastfeeding support as a critical action for reducing health inequity and protecting the rights of mothers and babies to survive and thrive.

UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Representative stated, “Breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong health and well-being. It is a simple, cost effective, and natural way to provide infants with the nutrients they need for heathy growth and development.”
The statement added, “However, despite its proven benefits, exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria remain low.”
It said, “Many mothers face cultural, social, and practical barriers that prevent them from breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of their child’s life.”
The release also stated, “During this critical period of early growth and development, the antibodies in breast milk protect babies against illness and death.

“This is especially important during emergencies, when breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious, and accessible food source for infants and young children. Breast feeding reduces the burden of childhood illness, and the risk of certain types of cancers and non-communicable diseases for mothers.”
In Nigeria, key gaps in breastfeeding support include insufficient maternity leave policies, lack of workplace support, and inadequate access to breastfeeding education and services, particularly in rural areas.
Only seven states offer the recommended 24 weeks of paid maternity leave, and many women return to work without the necessary support to continue breastfeeding.

To close these gaps, the government, employers, healthcare providers, and communities need to collaborate, UNICEF said. Policies should be enacted to extend paid maternity leave, create breast feeding-friendly workplaces, and provide comprehensive breastfeeding education and support services, it added.
The statement said this year, UNICEF was supporting Nigeria in setting the world record for the highest number of lactating mothers breastfeeding simultaneously.

It said 30,000 mothers will breastfeed their babies across all 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory on August 1st, 2024. This initiative not only aims for a record but also seeks to draw attention to the importance of breastfeeding, as well as challenge harmful nutrition norms and practices, specifically the introduction of water and other pre-lacteal feeds during the first six months of a baby’s life, UNICEF said.
It added that to support progress, data needed to be available on policy actions that make breastfeeding possible, such as family-friendly employment policies, regulation of the marketing of breast milk substitutes, and investment in breast feeding. It said improving monitoring systems will help boost the effectiveness of breastfeeding policies and programmes, inform better decision-making, and ensure support systems could be adequately financed.

The release further stated, “When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility. Families, communities, healthcare workers, policymakers, and other decision-makers all play a central role by Increasing investment in programmes and policies that protect and support breastfeeding through dedicated national budgets.