Admin|19 March 2016|7:07am
The Society For Family Health held a One Day Stakeholders' Advocacy and Sensitization Meeting on Exclusive Breast Feeding yesterday in Transcorp Hotel, Calabar. It was declared open by Dr. Mrs. Inyang Asibong Commissioner for Health, alongside the Director General, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Mrs. Betta Edu and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Stella Odey as a special guest.
Dr. Asibong who noted that the low percentage of exclusive breast feeding at 42% in CRS was due to the attitude of mothers who refuse to breast feed their children, urged mothers to abstain from such act to enable the State under Governor, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade have healthy mothers and infant babies.
"Breast milk offers protection against infections and is therefore valuable for the infants from birth. Babies do not need water from birth therefore should not be given. She also noted that this will reduce the risk of diseases such as Diarrhoea", Dr. Asibong reminded.
Also speaking, the Director General CRSPHCDA, Dr. Mrs. Betta Edu advised mothers on the importance of exclusive breast feeding for infant babies in the first six months. She said this will have great impact on the survival of the child, as well as the child's sensory and cognitive developments. She also noted the numerous benefits to the mother which includes bonding and retraction of the womb early after birth.
According to her, the World Health Organization's recommendation for exclusive breast feeding is to be initiated within one hour after birth. She tasked the mothers to adhere to that standard as a child's full nutritional requirement is contained in breast milk within the first six month. Thereafter breast milk maybe be supplemented with other feeds.
Dr Betta, encouraged mothers-in-law to ensure strict adherence to this recommendation by their daughters-in-law assuring them that Senator Ben Ayade, the Governor of Cross River State is very passionate about the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers and infant babies in the state and is poised to support them in many ways.
Highpoint of the program was presentation on status of exclusive breast feeding in the state by Commissioner of Health, Dr. Inyang Asibong, and ESMPIN's Exclusive breast feeding intervention in CRS by Pascaline Offiong.
Nursing mothers and their babies, husbands and motherinlaws from Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Calabar Municipality and Calabar South as well as other stakeholders attended the program.
Charles Ekanem
Media & Publicity Aide to the DG, CRSPHCDA.
