President, Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Oghogho Gwabin Musa has encouraged mothers, especially the militaty and police personnel wives to place priority on breastfeeding their children as it is one of the most effective ways to ensure good health and survival.
In her message to commemorate the World Breast FEEDING WEEK which holds from 1st to 7th AUGUST, DEPOWA President said "Breast feeding is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breast fed Children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life.
World Breastfeeding Week 2023 is from Tuesday 1st August – Monday 7th August 2023. The theme set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) for this year is: “Enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents.”
This year’s theme is important because:
Workplace challenges remain the most common reason for women to never breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended.
Parents need adequate time and support to breastfeed. Parents with less than 3 months of maternity leave reported shorter breastfeeding duration than those with 3 or more months of leave.
A workplace needs adequate breastfeeding facilities to become a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Only 42 countries mandate workplace breastfeeding facilities.
Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding addresses inequalities that stand in the way of sustainable development (source: WABA, 2023).
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. However, contrary to WHO recommendations, fewer than half of infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed.
Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life.
Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes continues to undermine efforts to improve breastfeeding rates and duration worldwide.