Martins Ifijeh
The Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) will hold a 3-day National Summit on Infant and Young Child Feeding(IYCF), THEME: Complementary feeding for growth & Development’’ and slogan ‘Promoting healthy feeding for healthy baby’.
The summit which will be declared open by the Honourable Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, in Abuja, is scheduled to run through 26-28th April, 2016.The aim of the conference is to accelerate responses to improve complementary feeding practices of children 6-23 months old.
The aim of the conference is to accelerate responses to improve complementary feeding practices of children 6- 23 months old with a view to reducing malnutrition and promoting national development.
The summit is predicated on Nigeria being a signatory to the global recommendations for optimal infant and young child feeding by adopting early initiation of breastfeeding within half an hour of giving birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and introduction of adequate and safe, solid, semi-solid and soft complementary feeding from six months until 23 months and continue breastfeeding up to two years and beyond (PAHO/WHO, 2002).
Participants in attendance will be drawn from the 36 states of the federation including FCT, academia, Private sector, Donors, development partners, civil societies and all nutrition partners implementing IYCF in Nigeria.
