Abuja: The three-tiers of government have been urged to support women in ensuring that children are given the best start in life through adequate breastfeeding. Ms Mabel Ade, Executive Director, Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF), disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ade spoke on the background of the celebration of the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW). WBW is an annual celebration held every year from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 in more than 120 countries. Ade emphasized the importance of supporting mothers in regions like Borno and Benue to ensure they can provide optimal nutrition to their children through breastfeeding. She highlighted breastfeeding as a crucial factor in the health, development, and resilience of both children and mothers.
Ade pointed out that in Nigeria, breastfeeding serves as both a survival strategy and a national development priority, especially amidst multiple humanitarian and socioeconomic challenges. She noted that mothers who exclusively breastfeed during the first six months and continue alongside complementary feeding provide their children with a significant advantage in life. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of childhood illness and malnutrition and aids mothers in birth spacing and recovery.
She lamented UNICEF data showing only 29 percent of Nigerian infants are exclusively breastfed, contributing to the country’s high number of malnourished children. This issue is exacerbated in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where malnutrition among mothers, especially those who are pregnant or lactating, is widespread.
The situation is particularly dire in Benue State, where an increase in IDP populations due to attacks on rural communities has led to overcrowded camps with insufficient access to essential resources. Similar conditions exist in Borno State, where ongoing conflict has severely impacted maternal health services.
Ade stressed the need to empower malnourished mothers, those with HIV/AIDS, and those in remote villages to breastfeed adequately. Poor nutrition in early childhood is linked to various adverse outcomes, including cognitive delays and increased healthcare burdens. For mothers, the consequences include weakened immunity and higher maternal mortality.
Despite these challenges, Ade remains hopeful that Nigeria can improve its breastfeeding support strategies. She called for enhanced focus on exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding in national nutrition and emergency response plans. Investing in food and micronutrient supplementation, scaling up Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives, and enforcing workplace policies supportive of breastfeeding are some measures she recommended.
She also emphasized extending paid maternity leave, supporting community-based breastfeeding counseling, and integrating Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) into humanitarian responses. Additionally, designing HIV-sensitive infant feeding programs in alignment with WHO and national guidelines is crucial.
Ade urged the government to develop targeted outreach for rural women, displaced persons, adolescent mothers, and those with disabilities, who face unique breastfeeding challenges. Supporting breastfeeding is seen as one of the most cost-effective strategies to improve maternal and child health and build a more prosperous Nigeria.