Breastfeeding: WHO laments over inadequate maternity protection
The WHO Director General, Dr Ghebreyesus has lamented that women are lacking adequate maternity protection. He disclosed that women lacked the support they needed to breastfeed, with more than half a billion working class women globally.
Ghebreyesus noted that this was because they lacked adequate maternity protections, less than half of babies born globally, were being breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life.
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“Meanwhile, misleading formula milk marketing claims, undermine breastfeeding at every turn.“Almost every country has signed the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which restricts marketing of formula milk.“However, regulations are largely unenforced,” he said.
“Ghebreyesus called on governments and policy makers, to promote breastfeeding by ensuring all women had adequate maternity protections.”
He recommended at least six months maternity leave with full pay for nursing mothers, as well as time-off for breastfeeding when they resumed work.
He also reiterated WHO’s call for governments to end exploitative marketing of artificial milk, and increase health sector support for breastfeeding.
NAN/S.S
