By Murtala Muhammad
Bauchi State Primary Health Care Board, has launched this year’s World Breastfeeding Week with a call on women to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months after birth.
Executive Chairman of the Board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed made the call while launching the commemoration of the week at Kofar Ran Primary Health Care Centre in Bauchi metropolis.
Dr Rilwanu Mohammed represented by the Board’s Director, Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Adamu Muhammad said breast milk has a lot of benefits to newborn particularly in boosting their immune system and brain development.
He urged the women not to skip feeding their newborns with the first yellowish breast milk that comes immediately after birth as it prevents the baby from infectious diseases.
According to him, other benefits of breastfeed to mothers include, prevention against breast cancer, hypertension among others.
Also speaking, UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office’s Health Specialist, Dr David Audu emphasised the importance of exclusive breastfeed and advocated six-month maternity leave for working mothers, to enable them practice same.
The State Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam, represented by the Director Pharmaceutical Services, Umar Gumau assured commitment to support breastfeeding, for the state to improve its current indices.
Radio Nigeria records that the even witnessed goodwill messages from Implementing Partners, Nigeria Red Cross Society, NAFDAC and traditional leader as well as presentation of gifts to breastfeed champions.
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