LASG harps on benefits of exclusive breastfeeding

The Lagos State Government is set to commemorate the 2024 World Breastfeeding and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health Plus Nutrition Week.

The state said it would be implementing interventions geared towards promoting exclusive breastfeeding and improving health-seeking behaviours, particularly among mothers and children under five years.

While speaking on the government’s preparations for the week-long activities, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, explained at a Wednesday press briefing that the state would use the medium to improve the health-seeking behaviour of the populace.

Ogunyemi emphasised that the week-long activities would be highly impactful, with all 329 primary health care centres, 752 mobile teams, and over 3,000 health workers trained and prepared on implementation strategies.

She disclosed that mobile teams would visit creches, schools, and playgrounds to administer deworming tablets and vitamin A to eligible children.

“The MNCAH+N Week is a week set aside by the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with the 36 states of the federation to improve the provision of preventive, promotive, high-impact, but cost-effective maternal and child health interventions,” she said.

She announced that the 2024 MNCAH+N Week, scheduled to hold from August 1 to 7, 2024 coincided with the World Breastfeeding Week, which was why the government would be implementing both concurrently.

“The World Breastfeeding Week is commemorated annually to create awareness of the importance of breastfeeding practices for the survival of babies under the age of two years. Breastfeeding is a natural way of providing the ideal and complete food for infants to ensure optimal growth and development for increased chances of survival,” she stated.

The Special Adviser noted that the theme for the Year 2024 World Breastfeeding Week is “Closing the Gap, Breastfeeding Support for All.”

A nutritionist, Ms Uju Onuorah, said last year that breastfed babies would have a lower risk of Type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity later in life.

Onuorah said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

According to her, besides the fact that for newborns, breast milk is the best source of nutrients, breastfeeding also has advantages that continue into maturity.