•FG: Breastfeeding prevents 80,000 children’s deaths annually
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
More than 70 per cent of infants in Nigeria are denied the right to breastfeeding in their formative years, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF have revealed, just as the Federal Government claims that 80,000 child deaths are prevented annually due to breastfeeding.
This startling disclosure was made in a joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russel and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week.
“In Nigeria, the exclusive breastfeeding rate is 29 per cent, meaning that over 70 per cent of infants in Nigeria are denied the aforementioned benefits of breast milk in their formative years,” noted Russel and Ghebreyesus.
They added only nine per cent of organisations had a workplace breastfeeding policy, indicating that mothers lack the enabling environment to breastfeed their babies optimally.
“The results are high stunting rates of 37 per cent of children Under-five, of which 21 per cent are severe, and wasting among children under five years of age (seven per cent). They continue to present severe consequences for the child,” the statement added.
The federal government said about 80,000 child deaths were reported to be prevented annually when optimal breastfeeding was practised, helping to prevent postpartum bleeding and lowering a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, stated this at the celebration of the 2022 world breastfeeding week held on Monday, said that adherence to proper breastfeeding can prevent overweight and obesity.
According to him, the government aims to reach the 2025 World Health Assembly target of raising the rate of exclusive breastfeeding to at least 50 per cent.
“However, many of the actors lack the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills to support these women. Thus, there is a need to strengthen the capacity of all actors across the different levels to protect, promote and support breastfeeding,” stated Ehanire. “Breastfed babies have stronger immunity, reduced risk of infections and many childhood illnesses, and may also have longer-term health benefits including reduced risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. Studies have shown that obesity rates are 15 to 30 per cent lower in breastfed babies compared to formula-fed babies.”
Inadequate feeding practices and malnutrition contributed to over 50 per cent of children under five mortality, with two-thirds of these deaths occurring in the first year of life, which is closely related to poor breastfeeding practices, he added.
Ehanire further mentioned that the health ministry remained committed to eradicating malnutrition in Nigeria, stressing that improving the breastfeeding rate is a cost-effective means of achieving this.
