By Muhammad Amaan
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has emphasised the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the well-being of both babies and mothers.
The agency disclosed that exclusively breastfed babies had stronger immunity, reduced risk of childhood illnesses, and higher Intelligence Quotient.
Speaking at the 2024 World Breastfeeding celebration, the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, encouraged nursing mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding to improve their babies’ mental and physical development.
By embracing exclusive breastfeeding, the NAFDAC boss said mothers would lower their risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Prof. Adeyeye who was represented by the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Eva Edwards, highlighted the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
The NAFDAC boss expressed concern that many women lack the support they need to optimally breastfeed, including access to trained personnel, empathetic health advice, and counselling.
She revealed that Nigeria’s exclusive breastfeeding rate is 34 per cent, falling short of the WHO target of 50 per cent by 2025.
Prof. Adeyeye stressed the need for collective action to accelerate progress and scale optimal breastfeeding practices.
The NAFDAC Director General stressed that breastfeeding is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 3, addressing hunger, nutrition, and health.
She called for support for breastfeeding mothers to have a successful and fulfilling experience.
“This therefore calls for action from all of us in our respective capacities as breastfeeding actors to accelerate progress and scale optimal breastfeeding practices in order to achieve the global target of saving the lives of our children and mothers
“In order to successfully breastfeed babies, mothers need support such as food supplementation, from the health system, family members, community members, and from the workplace,” she stated.
Adeyeye pointed out that support was critical to the success of breastfeeding because knowledge-sharing, encouragement, support with household chores, and creating an enabling environment make exclusive breastfeeding practice easier for our mothers.
She maintained, “It is essential that no one is left behind especially vulnerable mothers who may need additional assistance to reduce breastfeeding inequities.”
The NAFDAC boss stated that women in all settings needed and deserved support to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
She said when mothers receive the support, they need to breastfeed their babies, everyone benefits, and everyone wins.
According to her, the benefits of breastfeeding are innumerable and cannot be overemphasised, stating that breastmilk offers babies the best start and foundation for a healthy life, optimal growth and development in this critical early stage.
She noted that the antibodies present in breastmilk protect babies from illness and death, adding that this is especially important during emergencies which are unfortunately rife in Nigeria presently when breastmilk provides the necessary guarantee for a safe, nutritious, free, and accessible food source for infants and young children.
She argued that breastfeeding is one of the critical pathways to reducing under-five mortality and is the baby’s first food system.
