Listing the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding in the optimal development of babies, the government said that breastfeeding was the easiest and cheapest way to feed babies, stating that it protected the family’s finances and created a safe environment.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed this at press briefing while speaking on the government’s preparations for the week-long activities.
Ogunyemi said the government would be implementing interventions geared towards promoting exclusive breastfeeding and improving health-seeking behaviours, particularly among mothers and children under five years.
The World Breastfeeding Week is held annually on August 1-7 to create awareness and initiate action on the importance of breastfeeding. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WBW is celebrated in commemoration of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration.
The World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund recommend that babies initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed within the first six months of life.
The WHO states that breastfeeding provides all the energy and nutrients that infants need for the first months of life and is important to ensure optimal growth and development for increased chances of survival.
The theme for this year’s celebration is, Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.