Sunday Okobi
The First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, has again admonished nursing mothers in the state to practice exclusive breastfeeding for their well-being, healthy growth and development of their babies.
In a statement by the Press Officer, Kemi Oyeleye, Abiodun gave the admonition at the wrap up of the 2022 breastfeeding campaign week organised by her Foundation, Ajose, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health which took place at Primary Health Centre in Ilaro.
According to her, “Breastfeeding provides every child with the best possible start in life and delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers.”
She said exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond provide an infant the best start possible to life, adding that breast milk is safe and clean with adequate provision of energy and nutrients an infant needs for the few months of life.
Abiodun noted that early introduction of breastfeeding, within one hour of birth, protects the newborn from infectious and chronic diseases, facilitates emotional bonding of mother and child as well as reduces newborn mortality.
On the theme ‘Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support’, the First Lady said that it was time to revisit the professional obligations of the health workers by prioritising breastfeeding-friendly environments for mothers and babies.
She said: “The Ogun State Government is poised to support the promotion of breastfeeding education across the various health institutions, communities and organisations in the state.
“My Foundation, Ajose, will work with the state government to ensure that the EBR rate is improved from 20.95 to about 50 per cent in one year. This is the target to be achieved by year 2025 as set by the World Health Assembly.”
The state governor’s wife called on all stakeholders to continue to support and educate the people through concerted actions and collaborations to ensure that every mother had access to skilled breastfeeding counselling to enable her give her baby the best start in life.
The First Lady presented all mothers present at the occasion with food items and well-fed babies with cash gifts.
She took the breastfeeding campaign to Ijebu Imushin and Oke Ilewo in Abeokuta where mothers and babies were also presented with food and baby items.
In her goodwill message, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said breastfeeding is an ancient role for mothers and should not be replaced by baby formula, which according to her, had also been dropped by western world.
On her part, the President, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Dr. Olabisi Dedeke, demonstrated how best to position babies to the breast for maximum and satisfying feeding, urging mothers to maintain good sitting posture while breast feeding their babies to avert back pain and discomfort in the process.
