NGO, Commission Engage Stakeholders On Breastfeeding At Workplace

A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Alive and Thrive and the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCDB) and Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) has engaged stakeholders on enabling breast feeding for working mothers in commemoration of the 2023 world breast feeding week.

The week with the theme: “Enabling breastfeeding, making a difference for working mothers” was basically to engage with individuals and understand the workplace challenges and way forward for breast feeding mothers and to also engage with organisations, government, stakeholders and other partners on ways to mitigate challenges in order to promote breastfeeding at workplaces.

The engagement was also to solicit  commitment from institutions for the establishment of creches, develop next plan actions and get stakeholders’ commitment to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in Kaduna State.

In her presentation at the event , Alive & Thrive zonal coordinator in Kaduna State, Sarah Kwasu, stressed the need to promote and support breastfeeding mothers while calling on  government at all levels, public and private sectors, workplaces and community gatekeepers to scale-up breastfeeding promotion and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments for lactating mothers and their babies.

She said they were also advocating  for the establishment of creches across MDAs and other workplaces and push for the legislation of six months paid maternity leave.

“We will continue to partner with government and other stakeholders to expand and strategically scale up  primary health care facilities which will enhance breastfeeding,” she said, adding that breastfeeding is one of the best investments in children and women’s health and survival.

Earlier in her remarks, director of public health Kaduna State, Dr Aishatu Abubakar Sadiq,  said  the week was to highlight the effectiveness of breast feeding.