Commissioner for Primary Health Care, Dr Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, gave the assurance yesterday at an event to celebrate the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week, with the theme: “Closing the Gap, Breastfeeding Support for all” in Minna.
He restated the state government’s commitment to providing the resources and championing the best practices for workplace-related breastfeeding support in all of the 25 council areas.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Abdullahi Usman Imam, the commissioner revealed that the exclusive breastfeeding rate in the state was still low.
Dangana maintained that all the 274 focal primary health cares, secondary, and tertiary hospitals in the state have a baby-friendly initiative.
He stated that the management and referral of malnutrition cases are ]sustained through synergy and collaboration between tertiary, secondary and primary health facilities in the state, adding that all the council areas have trained health care workers on community infant and young child feeding.
Dangana reiterated that the Governor Umaru Bago administration is to invest in interventions that would promote, protect and institutionalise breastfeeding, early initiation within one hour of births to make newborns receive colostrum feeling, first milk, exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age.
In their separate goodwill messages, the development partners expressed delight with the breastfeeding week, assuring their continued support and collaboration.
