FG Directs Organisations to Provide Safe Breastfeeding Places for Mothers

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As part of efforts to promote six months exclusive breastfeeding practice among women in Nigeria, the federal government has directed all public institutions and organisations to designate a comfortable place within their establishments to enable nursing mothers to breastfeed their babies.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate while speaking on the commencement of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week in Abuja, said that the government is seeking better ways of encouraging all mother’s to breastfeed their babies for at least six months and to continue to practice good nutrition practices for their children.

Pate, who spoke to journalists during the formal launch of the FCT Medical Palliatives initiative at the Gwarinpa General Hospital in Abuja, also called on the private sector organisations to provide places where women can feel comfortable to breastfeed their children while at their workplaces.
He said: “Breastfeeding is such a vital low hanging fruit and in the World Breastfeeding Week that just started, we are encouraging all mothers to breastfeed their children for at least six months and to continue to practice good nutrition practices for their children. Breastfeeding is not only a good source of nutrition for the child but also allows that child opportunity to bond with the mother.

“It’s good for the child, it’s good for the mother. It builds the brains of the children. The federal government has directed that all institutions should provide safe places for women to breastfeed their children in the workplaces and we call on the private sector to also do that so that women should feel comfortable to go their workplaces and breastfeed their children, so we can build a healthier nation in the years to come.”

On its part, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that in the past12 years, the number of infants under six months old who are exclusively breastfed in Nigeria has risen by more than 10 per cent.

In a message to mark the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate, said: “Today, 34 per cent of Nigerian infants benefit from exclusive breastfeeding, translating to hundreds of thousands of lives saved through this healthy start.

“This progress moves Nigeria closer to the World Health Organisation’s goal of achieving a 50 per cent exclusive breastfeeding rate by 2025. However, significant challenges remain.”

She added that, “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 healthy growth and development.

“Despite its proven benefits, exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria remain low. Many mothers face cultural, social, and practical barriers that prevent them from breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of their child’s life.”

UNICEF chief explained that during early growth, breast milk’s antibodies protect babies against illness and death, crucial in emergencies where breastfeeding provides a safe, nutritious, and accessible food source.

Additionally, she said that breastfeeding reduces childhood illnesses and the risk of certain cancers and noncommunicable diseases in mothers.

This World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme ‘Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all’, UNICEF and WHO emphasised the need for improved breastfeeding support to reduce health inequities and protect mothers’ and babies’ rights to survive and thrive.

UNICEF further said that data on policy actions that make breastfeeding possible, such as family-friendly employment policies, regulation of breast milk substitutes marketing, and investment in breastfeeding, are crucial.

It also said that improved monitoring systems will enhance the effectiveness of breastfeeding policies and programmes, inform better decision-making, and ensure adequate support systems financing.

“When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility involving families, communities, healthcare workers, policymakers, and other decision-makers by: Increasing investment in programmes and policies that protect and support breastfeeding through dedicated national budgets;

“Implementing and monitoring family-friendly workplace policies, such as paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and access to affordable, good-quality childcare; and ensuring mothers at risk in emergencies or under-represented communities receive breastfeeding protection and support in line with their unique needs, including timely, effective breastfeeding counseling as part of routine health coverage.

“Additionally, Improving monitoring of breastfeeding programs and policies to inform and further improve breastfeeding rates; and developing and enforcing laws restricting the marketing of breast milk substitutes, including digital marketing practices, with monitoring to routinely report Code violations,” it said.