World breastfeeding week: 1,800 mothers breastfeed babies simultaneously in Niger state
As part of efforts to promote the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, no fewer than 1,800 mothers converged from different local government areas of Niger state to breastfeed their babies simultaneously to commemorate the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week.
The theme of the event is : Closing the Gap: Break the Record, Break Barriers: Breastfeeding Support for All”, was organised by Niger Ministry for Primary Healthcare in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In her remarks, Gerida Birukila, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, said the event was an attempt to break the world record for the highest number of lactating women breastfeeding simultaneously.
“We are not just gathered to break a world record, we are here to make history and send a powerful message to the world on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding,” she said.
Birukila, who was represented by Mrs Grace Odeyemi, UNICEF Cosultant in Niger, said exclusive breastfeeding rates had remained low at 16 per cent according to Nigeria Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICs 2021).
She noted that many mothers face cultural, social, and practical barriers that prevent them from breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a child’s life.
She said the event was aimed at breaking barriers that hinders mothers from practicing exclusive breastfeeding and create awareness on the importance of breastfeeding.
She added that the effort was to achieve, the World Health Assembly’s target for exclusive breastfeeding and go beyond 50 per cent target.
In her address, Hajiya Fatima Bago, Wife of Niger Governor, called on all to provide support through education, resources or breastfeeding friendly work place environment for mothers.
Bago, represented by Hajiya Jummai Abubakar, Wife of Niger SSG, announced the donation of 100 bags of rice to the first batch of 100 women to support them and theie families.
Also, Dr Bello Turku, Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, said the aims was to showcase the need to improve support to mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health, Niger government, in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners come up with the initiative to achieve a world record for lactating women to breastfeeding simultaneously.
One of the mothers, Malama Saratu Usman, pledged to educate other mothers in her community on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
