Health
THE World Bank-supported Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), Kaduna Project Implementation Unit, has trained 114 health workers on Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) to promote optimal breastfeeding.
The Project Manager, Dr Zainab Idris, stated this in Zaria on Sunday at the end of a three-day training of last batch of 34 health workers on breastfeeding and lactation management.
Idris said that the participants comprised nurses, nutrition focal persons, mid-wives, medical directors, zonal directors, facility in-charges and health secretaries.
The participants were drawn from Jaba and Kauru Local Government Areas of the state.
The manager, represented by the project Nutrition Specialist, Hajiya Hauwa Usman, said that the training was part of efforts to support the revitalisation of BFI in six LGAs in the state.
According to her, so far, a total of 114 health workers have been trained on the BFI, 19 from each of the benefiting local government areas, including Makarfi, Lere, Igabi, Chikun, Kauru and Jaba.
She explained that BFI, which has hospital, community and workplace components, was designed to protect, promote and support breastfeeding practices in line with WHO’ recommendations.
She added that the initiative would create an enabling environment for exclusive breastfeeding at facilities, communities and public places.
According to her, BFI is critical to promoting optimal breastfeeding practices to combat malnutrition and other related childhood illnesses associated with poor nutrition.
She described breastfeeding as a very “vital practice and a cost-effective” step that helps in combating malnutrition, reducing new-born death as well as child mortality.
The manager said that the training was to improve the capacity of facilities providing maternity and newborn services to support the promotion of optimal breastfeeding.
Speaking on her capacity as the Nutrition Specialist, Usman explained that the objective of the training was to review the knowledge and skills of key service providers on breastfeeding and lactation management.
She added that the training was to also build the capacity of front-line healthcare service providers to facilitate the reactivation of the BFI concepts and practices in the state healthcare system.
According to her, the effort will improve child survival, growth and development.
“It is also to facilitate the integration of BFI and Community Infant and Young Child Feeding into existing PHC services towards achieving the approved State Strategic and Operational Plan, 2020 to 2024.”
Hajiya Aishatu Jakada, the Adolescents Health and Nutrition Officer, ANRiN, stressed the need for intensive counselling of mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive practice.
Jakada said that the counselling would prepare the mother on what to do and the support she needs after delivery to ensure optimal breastfeeding of the child.
One of the participants, Dr Hauwa Tanko-Boi, Health Secretary, Jaba LGA, commended ANRiN for reviving the BFI, describing it as “laudable” in the efforts to improve breastfeeding practices among lactating mothers.
Tanko-Boi expressed optimism that the BFI would create significant change in the promotion of optimal breastfeeding, particularly at the health facilities.
Dr Ahmad Abdulrahman of the General Hospital Kauru thanked ANRIN for the opportunity, and assured that the training would reinvigorate health workers’ support for breastfeeding practices.
Abdulrahman noted that the training would serve as a refresher, adding that it will reawaken health workers’ interest in supporting mothers to adequately breastfeed their children.
“As a medical doctor I am aware of the importance of breastfeeding to the overall growth and development of children but over time, we forget and pay less attention to promoting it.
“This training has reawakened our interest to pay due attention in supporting mothers to adequately breastfeed their children,” he said. (NAN)
E.C
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