The United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation have said exclusive breastfeeding rate is 29 per cent.
They disclosed this in a joint press statement to mark World Breastfeeding Week which holds under the theme ‘Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and Support.’
With such poor rating, the organisations said over 70 per cent of infants in the country are denied the benefits of breast milk in their formative years.
“In Nigeria, the exclusive breastfeeding rate is 29 per cent, meaning that over 70 per cent of infants in Nigeria are denied the benefits of breast milk in their formative years.
“Only nine per cent of organisations have a workplace breastfeeding policy, indicating that mothers lack the enabling environment to optimally breastfeed their babies,” they said.
Outlining the importance of breast milk, the organisations said: “During emergencies, including those in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ukraine, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel, breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious, and accessible food source for babies and young children. It offers a powerful line of defense against disease and all forms of child malnutrition, including waste.
“The results are high stunting rates of 37 per cent of children under five, of which 21 per cent are severe, and wasting among children under 5 years of age (7 percent). They continue to present severe consequences for the child.
“Breastfeeding also acts as a baby’s first vaccine, protecting them from common childhood illnesses.
“Yet the emotional distress, physical exhaustion, lack of space and privacy, and poor sanitation experienced by mothers in emergency settings mean that many babies are missing out on the benefits of breastfeeding to help them survive.
“Fewer than half of all newborn babies are breastfed in the first hour of life, leaving them more vulnerable to disease and death. And only 44 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life, short of the World Health Assembly target of 50 per cent by 2025.
“Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding is more important than ever, not just for protecting our planet as the ultimate natural, sustainable, first food system, but also for the survival, growth, and development of millions of infants.
They called on governments to allocate increased resources to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding policies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable families living in emergency settings.
The organisations also urged governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector to step up efforts to prioritise investing in breastfeeding support policies and programmes, especially in fragile and food insecure contexts.
“Equip health and nutrition workers in facilities and communities with the skills they need to provide quality counselling and practical support to mothers to successfully breastfeed.
“Protect caregivers and health care workers from the unethical marketing influence of the formula industry by fully adopting and implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, including in humanitarian settings.
“Implement family-friendly policies that provide mothers with the time, space, and support they need to breastfeed,” they said.
