Borno: UNICEF, WHO advocate 6-month maternity leave for exclusive breastfeeding

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have urged the Borno State government to implement a six-month maternity leave to enable mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies.

According to the UN agencies, maternity leave will strengthen the bond between babies and mothers, securing their lives and futures.

During the launch of the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week, held over the weekend in Maiduguri, the Borno State First Lady, Dr. Falmata Babagana Zulum, disclosed that four million children and women are facing malnutrition, with exclusive breastfeeding standing at 35.3 percent in the state.

She lamented that the state has yet to reach 50 percent of the breastfeeding rate for babies below the age of two years.

Falmata, represented by the Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, urged stakeholders and other development partners to take collaborative action towards exclusive breastfeeding for six months, sustained for two years.

The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie, said, “The Borno state government is to increase funding into the health sector to revitalise and sustain baby-feeding initiatives among mothers.”

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He added that the state government should also gazette and operationalize the revised National Regulations on the marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Senesie noted that this will protect children from the associated risks of inadequate breastfeeding for a minimum of six months.

He explained that six-month exclusive breastfeeding could prevent the donations of breast milk substitutes to communities affected by prolonged conflicts.

Besides the six-month maternity leave, Senesie added, “The government is to commence revitalising the baby-friendly initiatives. It should also prioritise maternal, infant, and child nutrition interventions at the community level,” as well as the engagement of health workers in healthcare delivery services in the state.