Nigerian govt set to commemorate 2024 World Breastfeeding Week

The Nigerian government has lined up a series of activities to mark this year’s World Breast Feeding Week, which is aimed at promoting awareness and public support for breastfeeding.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Patricia Deworitshe, said the country acknowledges the importance of protecting the interest of vulnerable mothers in need of assistance with breastfeeding their offspring.

Mrs Deworitshe said the ministry, in collaboration with some of its concerned parties in the sector, will participate in the global companion from 1 to 7 August.

She said, “The week will be flagged off on the 1st of August with a record-breaking event for most lactating women breastfeeding simultaneously.”

During the week, the ministry also intends to carry out community outreach across the country, training for health workers, and media campaigns.

She said the global theme for the campaign, “Closing the Gap, Breastfeeding Support for All,” emphasises the collective responsibility to ensure that every mother receives the support she needs to make breastfeeding a successful and fulfilling experience.

The statement reads in part: “In order to successfully breastfeed their babies, mothers need support from the health system, family members, community members, and workplace.

“This support is critical to the success of breastfeeding because knowledge sharing, encouragement, support with household chores, call-ups, and creation of an enabling environment makes the act of breastfeeding easier for the mother.

“Women in all settings need and deserve support to optimally breastfeed their babies.”

World Breastfeeding Week

The World Breastfeeding Week is a global campaign held annually from 1-7 August. It is spearheaded by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network that aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding around the world, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.

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The week aims to promote breastfeeding and its numerous benefits for both mothers and babies and each year focuses on a specific theme to raise awareness and galvanise action on breastfeeding issues.

The organisations, through the campaign, emphasise the importance of providing mothers with the knowledge, support, and resources they need to successfully breastfeed their babies, such as encouraging workplaces to offer lactation facilities and flexible schedules for nursing mothers.