As the world commemorates the World Breastfeeding Week 2023, March Health Care Initiative has called on the federal government to implement children with special needs into the Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) implementation.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Initiative, Mrs Lawal-Aiyedun Olubunmi at the World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Caregivers’ training on Nutrition for children with special needs and feeding difficulties adding that there is need to create awareness around prevention of cerebral palsy and cleft palate condition amongst others and that we can prevent it.
The 3-day ongoing training to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week 2023 with theme: “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents “MIYCN-FP-Implementation Integration is in collaboration with USAID.
She further called on the government to build capacity to support parents of children with special needs .
She also called on the National Health Insurance authority to come to their aide to reduce the financial boarding of taking care of these children with special needs .
Also, the Pediatrician and Child Neurologist at the National Hospital, Dr Dennis Shettima, said Cerebral Palsy is largely preventable and empathised that parents should ask questions and seek for help once they are not satisfied and also encourage them to seek intervention .
He said there was need for training, retraining and sanctions for corrective measures to medical professionals who handle children with special needs noting that it will serve as deterrent for others to follow such part .
“In the developed countries that most Nigerians run to , if there were no positive measures put in place and sanctions, we wouldn’t want to run there,” Shettima said.
Also, the Technical Advisor Nutrition- MIYCN, USAID Advancing Nutrition project in Nigeria, Pauline Adah, said they were supporting March Initiative to push and advocate for optimal breastfeeding for children especially children with special needs.
