Health
World Breastfeeding Week: SCI advocates review of workplace policies for breastfeeding mothers
Save the Children International (SCI), has raised concern that despite the health benefits and nutritional value of breast milk, only 9% workplace in Nigeria have policies that promote breastfeeding.
In a statement signed on Tuesday by SCI Country Director, Famari Barro,
to commemorate the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week, the organisation stated that lack of exclusive breastfeeding for children of working class women in any sector is a disservice to the right of the child to survive.
Stressing the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, the organisation called on the Nigerian government to review laws that hinder lactating mothers from practicing exclusive breastfeeding both at formal and informal settings.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week, commemorated 1-7 August, has the theme “Enabling Breastfeeding, Making a difference for Working Parents”.
Breastmilk is the most important meal for a child after birth.
“Exclusive breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant with only breastmilk for the first 6 months of the child’s life without water or formula as directed by the World Health Organization. This is ideal for the child as breast milk contains nutrients and antibodies that protect the child from common illnesses”, the organisation said.
SCI states that Nigeria falls short on the mandate as only 29% of infants aged 0-6 months are exclusively breastfed leaving 71% of infants lacking the benefits of breast milk in their formative years.
According to them, “The Nigeria workspace forces mothers to return to work or risk their salaries or income.
According to the Global, Breastfeeding Scorecard 2022 “Protecting Breastfeeding through further investments and policy actions”, only 10% of countries meet the recommended standard of countries with recommended policies to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
“No country in Africa meets the National requirements for paid maternity leave as stipulated by the International Labour Organization. This percentage has hardly changed over the past eight years. The collective target for 2030 is to have at least 25% of countries following the ILO recommendation which is to have at least 18 weeks standard maternity leave.
“A child deprived of exclusive breastfeeding can suffer, malnutrition, pneumonia, infectious morbidity, childhood obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leukemia, and sudden infant death syndrome. Every child should enjoy the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding both in formal and informal workspaces. If this persist then the Breast Milk Substitute products and other foods for infants and young children – the world over – continue to undermine a mother’s ability to make an informed choice on infant and young child feeding.
“Upon their return to work, mothers also need work breaks and appropriate nursing facilities for continued breastfeeding. This encourages and helps mothers exclusively breastfeed after maternity leave”.
Famari Barro, Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria said, “Children across Nigeria must be fed well, solely on exclusive breastmilk for the first 6-months of their lives. In emergency context, breastfeeding saves lives. When systems are disrupted, breastfeeding continues to offer nutrition security, hydration, comfort, connection, and protects babies from infectious diseases.
“Nigeria needs to rise up to the call for better breastfeeding friendly environments, both for the urban and rural settings, as well as the formal and informal working class groups of breastfeeding mothers.”
Save the Children International further urge Government, Ministries of Health and Nutrition, Information and Culture, Labour and Employment as well as other stakeholders to do more in addressing the needs of breastfeeding mothers at home, work and communities.
“Government laws and policies must support and ensure an implementation of at least 18 weeks, even more 6 months, paid maternity leave, promote exclusive breastfeeding; public health campaigns, provision of adequate nutrition and breastfeeding counselling, so that parents everywhere and at all levels can access the appropriate services and support that are critical to the success of breastfeeding.
“The 6 months paid maternity leave and 2 weeks paternity leave bill should be passed and signed into law to provide sustainable support for breastfeeding from the government.
“Government and partners need to set up mother and baby areas to ensure that mothers in refugee camps can receive adequate information, advice, encouragement, and counselling on infant and young child feeding practices. Breastfeeding support is possible regardless of workplace, sector, or contract type.
“Employers must provide maternity protections and paid entitlements to improve children and women’s health thereby increasing exclusive breastfeeding for the well-being of the child”, the organisation added.
In a bid to enhance medical care for Nigerians, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed six new Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) for Federal Hospitals across the country.
Among those appointed is Dr. Ikrama Hassan, who will now serve as the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State. Dr. Hassan, a seasoned consultant physician, previously served as the Medical Director of Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital before its elevation to a teaching hospital.
The full list of newly appointed CMDs includes:
Prof. Olusegun Sylvester Ojo – Federal Teaching Hospital, Akure, Ondo State.
Prof. Yusuf Mohammed Abdullahi (Reappointed) – Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe.
Dr. Dauda Abubakar Katagum – Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, Bauchi State.
Dr. Ikrama Hassan – Federal Teaching Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Dr. Ali Mohammed Ramat – National Orthopedic Hospital, Maiduguri, Borno State.
Dr. Haruna Abubakar Shehu – Federal Medical Centre, Kafanchan, Kaduna State.
Each appointment is for a four-year term, effective from the date of assumption of duty.
President Tinubu congratulated the appointees, urging them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service delivery. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving medical infrastructure and ensuring quality healthcare access for all Nigerians.
Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has called for the establishment of a Federal Medical Centre to be situated in Zuru to cater for the health needs of the District and its environs.
The lawmaker in the 10th National Assembly made the call during a public hearing on the Bill to establish Federal Medical Centre in Zuru organized by the Senate Committee on Health.
In a memorandum presented at the hearing by the lawmaker, he explained that the aim is to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of Zuru in Kebbi State in the North West Nigeria.
He further noted that the establishment of FMCs across the country was initiated by Decree No. 10 of 1985, with the aim of providing tertiary healthcare services.
According to him, the FMC Birnin Kebbi was established on June 6, 2000, and has since been upgraded to a University Teaching Hospital.
The lawmaker stated that the large population and the challenges faced in accessing healthcare services, necessitates the establishment of FMC in the state.
“In Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, the distance between Zuru Emirate and Birnin Kebbi is approximately 240 km, making it difficult for patients, especially children and pregnant women, to access secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities”, he lamented.
Senator Maidoki charged his colleagues and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to support the bill, saying healthcare is a fundamental privilege expected from any government.
The lawmaker who is the sponsor of the bill told journalists during a chat that the Federal Medical Center, when established will not only cater for the tertiary healthcare needs of Kebbi State, but will also serve the adjoining states like Niger and Zamfara.
The Kogi State is set to receive enhanced funding of 500 million dollars from the World Bank to improve access to high quality basic education and Primary Healthcare Services in the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Budget, and Economic Planning, Honourable Asiwaju Idris disclosed this at a Citizens’ Sensitization Programme held at the Government House in Lokoja on Thursday.
He noted that the World Bank assisted Programme under the HOPE-GOV initiative will avail the state of over 500 million dollars in enhanced funding to strengthen basic education and Primary healthcare services in the state.
He added that Education and Healthcare are the pillars upon which a productive, innovative and resilient society is built upon, stressing that improved funding for education and healthcare which are two indices of human capital development is critical for accelerating progress and inclusive growth in the state.
The State Accountant General and World Bank Fiscal Focal Person, Dr. Habibat Tijani, emphasized that the HOPE-GOV initiative will support the efforts of the state government to enhance fiscal transparency, improve budget credibility, and ensure accountability in the use of funds for policies and programmes of the state government.
She noted that the initiative will increase the availability and effectiveness of financing for education and healthcare, improve recruitment and performance of teachers and healthcare workers in the state.
The Commissioner for Education, Honorable Wemi Jones lauded the initiative and commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s efforts in repositioning the education sector in the state adding that over ₦1.2 billion has been allocated for external examination fees of pupils and students in primary and secondary schools by the present administration.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams noted that the Hope-Gov initiative is set to revolutionize healthcare service delivery and promote access to essential healthcare services in the state.
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