The Yobe state government has disclosed that it recorded 38% per cent of exclusive breastfeeding in the state in 2022.
The nutrition officer in the state Primary Health Care Management Board (PHCMB), Hadiza Maina Adam, made the disclosure Friday at a one-day sensitisation and advocacy meeting with the government and private sectors.
Blueprint reports that the initiative was aimed at supporting the extension of six months maternity leave for mothers, introduction of paternity leave and baby-friendly workplaces in the state.
Adam noted that exclusive breastfeeding “is the most effective way to ensure that a child’s health and survival is guaranteed, by confining a newly born baby to breast milk for a recommended period of six months.”
She said, “Exclusive breastfeeding reduces the risk of diseases in childhood as it’s cost-effective and easy to digest and always available at the right temperature in such a way that whenever a child’s needs occur it’s there for the child.”
The participant secretary in the state Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mohammed Jawa, in his remarks, commended the organisers of the meeting for the gesture.
“On behalf of the Yobe state government, I assure you of the commitment of the ministry of health in particular and the health sector in general. We would do our best to see that the issue of six months maternity leave is considered in the state,” he said.
