Nursing
Mothers have been advised to embrace and comply with exclusive breastfeeding of
their babies for the first six months after birth.
Dr. Dayo
Adeyanju, the state Commissioner for Health, gave this advise during the
celebration of the 2012 World Breastfeeding day in Akure.
He said the
aim of the celebration is to ensure all mothers breastfeed their baby exclusively
for six months as this would protect them from infections and diseases.
He
appreciated the state governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko for creating a conclusive
and healthy atmosphere for the health sector in the state.
Adeyanju
address the gathering that Ondo state is one of the few states in the country
where the Child Right Act has been passed, and that breastfeeding is an
integral part of the Abiye (Safe Motherhood) Programme.
He informed the
gathering that government has made it a policy to create a baby friendly work
environment that would allow mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies
even after maternity leave in all the Ministries, Department and agencies.
In a lecture
titled “Breastfeed Today, Secure a Child’s Future”, Dr. Olubanke Oluwafemi
emphasized the benefit of extensive breastfeeding of babies right from birth.
She said
apart from natural bonding, breastfeeding prevents so many diseases like
obesity cancer and so on in the latter years of a child.
Dr.
Oluwafemi enjoined health workers to educate and sensitive women on the need to
breastfeed their children exclusively.
Some of the
development partners in the state like UNICEF and WHO commended the state
government for the development of women and children through various programme
aimed at reduction of maternal and child death.
An art work
was donated by Maternal Pulse Foundation and the Ministry to the Mother and
Child Hospital, to commemorate the day.
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