United Nations Children Emergency Fund UNICEF has expressed the need for stakeholders especially the Media to further collaborate and promote exclusive breastfeeding for healthy living of the born child.
The Officer in charge of Kano Field Office of UNICEF, Mr Micheal Banda, expressed the need during a one-day media dialogue organized in collaboration with ARTV Kano to commemorate ‘The World Breastfeeding Week’ with the theme – “Protect Breastfeeding: “A Shared Responsibility”.
Branda said exclusive breastfeeding enhances immunity of the child to live healthy by preventing and fighting disease if properly administered in the first six (6) months after birth and more if extended to up to 23 months.
He said that the media, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector, owe it a duty to step up and make smart investments and commitments towards tackling the global malnutrition crisis.
“They must also demonstrate action by making tangible commitments towards the full and effective promotion and support of breastfeeding in particular.
“The need for employers to implement family-friendly policies to support mothers with time, space and support to breastfeed, including provision of at least 18 weeks of paid maternity leave”, Branda said.
He said the role of the media given its powerful role as disseminators of mass-mediated information and agenda-setting becomes very crucial.
“The media is well-placed to set agenda, advocate and disseminate information on breastfeeding especially Exclusive Breastfeeding Feeding (EBF),” he added.
Role of the family
A nutrition expert and field Officer with the organization, Mrs Abigail Inyaku underscored the roe of the immediate family especially the husband and the entire community as very crucial in the success of increased campaign on exclusive breastfeeding.
“The husband can take the responsibility of cooking and other domestic chores for the wife to have enough time to breastfeed the child.
“There were times when individuals in the community took turns to take responsibility for what a nursing mother does including bathing (mother and child), sweeping and cooking among others. Those communal ways of life should be brought back and encouraged as it gives the mother enough time to breastfeed the child steadily without distortion. Breastfeeding if distorted does not give the child the deserving nutrition.
“Government should improve teachings and increase personnel in health institutions on issues related to exclusive breastfeeding so that the challenges related to it would be resolved without delay when mothers approach hospitals,” she said.
Sustained advocacy
Communications Consultant for UNICEF, Kano Field Office, Mr Samuel Ka’alu, said the media need to be more involved in sustained advocacy for the desired attitudinal change towards exclusive breastfeeding to be achieved.
“There is need to commit to further action in promoting breastfeeding in the longer term, to stimulate interest in focusing on breastfeeding and nutrition in media reports,” he said.
At the end of brainstorming sections at the event, media participants acquired more in-depth understanding of how to cover and disseminate information on exclusive breastfeeding in thematic areas of Radio, Television, Print and Online
Areas deliberated on to press home issues on exclusive breastfeeding by the media participants includes: News/Feature reports, Special reports, Drama, Tit bits, News bars, pull outs, Documentary, Interviews, Phone-in and discussion programmes, taking into languages and cultural beliefs among others.
The Breastfeeding Week is an annual event being held since 1992 as part of UNICEF’s humanitarian services to children across the globe.
Nneka Ukachukwu
