The Borno State government says it will implement the six months maternity leave for working mothers under the payroll of the state government.
The permanent secretary, Ministry for Health and Human Services, Dr. Mohammed Ghuluze, stated this yesterday during a media briefing to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week in Maiduguri.
He said the state government had four months maternity leave in place for working mothers, assuring that efforts were on to extend it to six months.
Ghuluze said this year’s World Breastfeeding week was intended to galvanise action across multiple sectors including the private sector on how to improve existing breastfeeding facilities, create new ones where there is none and review the possibility of legislating policies that promote breastfeeding-friendly work places.
The permanent secretary added that the state government was stepping up effort to achieve the 50 percent exclusive breastfeeding target set by the United Nations from the current 40 percent.
He said working mothers struggle to balance child care and work responsibilities, thereby resulting in early cessation of breastfeeding.
“Women therefore need continued support from the government, health system, workplace and communities to play their critical role in empowering them and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments” the Permanent Secretary stressed,” Ghuluze said.
