AS ANAMBRA State continue to mark the World Breastfeeding Week, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, ASPHCDA, held a seminar on re-training 120 Health workers to stress the importance of exclusive breastfeeding to lactating mothers at their various health facilities in the State.

The seminar was held at the Conference Hall, in the Office of Head of Service, Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka. Addressing the newsmen, Chioma Ezenyimulu, executive secretary ASPHCDA, noted that breast milk contains haemoglobin which aid in fighting childhood diseases such as diarrhoea, Cholera among others on infants.

She explained that breast milk is a complete meal for newborn for the first six months of life after which complimentary feed will be introduced in addition to breast milk for the well-being of the child as well as the mother.

The secretary said Anambra State is coming up with a State breastfeeding policy, which ensures that there will be no more breast milk substitutes such as milk, water with glucose among others in the hospitals as well as Primary Health Centres, PHCs.

Emmanuel Okafor, director Public Health, disclosed that the National Council of Health, NCH, has approved to extend maternity leave from 12 to 24 weeks to enable mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding.

He said that the state government is working towards providing a crèche near places of work. Okafor advised the working lactating mothers to express their breast milk for their infants, as according to him, breast milk lasts for 8hrs.

Ngozi Iyiegbu, guest speaker, and principal, school of Nursing/ Midwifery Iyi-Enu, lectured on breastfeeding infants and young child feeding policy, she added that the first immunisation of an infant is the first breast milk from a mother which contains cholestrum.

On her part, Ngozi Ekwedike, State coordinator, Baby Friendly Initiative, emphasised on putting newborn to breast within the first 30mins of life because that aid in the dropping of breast milk as well as helps to stop bleeding after delivery and breast cancer.

Aug 21, 2017 @ 18:05 GMT