Lagosians and the state government have again joined the rest of the world to stress breastfeeding as the healthiest for babies in the early months.
The 2014 World Breastfeeding Week, established by the World Health Organisation (WHO), will be celebrated between August 1 and 7.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris.
It is marked yearly in over 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding.
Governor Babatunde Fashola’s Public Health Adviser, Yewande Adeshina, said all health facilities in all councils statewide will be visited during the celebration.
The health facilities will provide maternal and child survival services, with emphasis on breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery, exclusive breastfeeding and continuous breastfeeding with complementary feeding from six months of age to two years and beyond.
During the week long exercise, councils and development areas will be visited by representatives of the Ministry of Health and Primary Health Care Board to select best nutrition service delivery centres, particularly as regards breastfeeding promotion, support and protection.
The programmes of the Community Health and Nutrition (CH&N) Link, also known as ‘Malnutrition Trackers’ will be assessed for selection of outstanding CH&N Link.
Adeshina said awards for male and female Breastfeeding Champions selected from the state’s 57 councils and development areas will be crowned at the grand finale of the celebration on September 11.
“The selection criteria of the state champions will include, among others, knowledge of breastfeeding issues with emphasis on early initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and appropriate positioning and attachment to breastfeeding as effectively demonstrated by mothers,” she added.
She reiterated that breastfeeding within 30 minutes of delivery and exclusive breastfeeding without water or any other drink is the most ideal for every new born because colostrums, the first milk from the mother, is the baby’s first immunisation.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Actions (WABA) advises that everyone in the world should protect and encourage breastfeeding mothers for effective and pleasant experience.
It also seeks commitment to exclusive breastfeeding, during which a child takes nothing except the mother’s breast milk in the early months.
