The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering an environment that supports, protects, and promotes exclusive breastfeeding through capacity building, community mobilization, system strengthening, and policy advocacy.
The Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Otu stated this during the formal flag-off of World Breastfeeding Week in Calabar on Monday.
She highlighted that the global event has consistently served as a vital platform for advocating breastfeeding and raising awareness of its significant benefits.
This year’s theme, “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all,” underscores the necessity of enhancing breastfeeding support as a critical measure to reduce health inequality and uphold the rights of mothers and babies to thrive.
Dr. Otu pointed out that breastfeeding rates in Nigeria remain suboptimal, with only 33% of infants initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of life and a mere 11% exclusively breastfed for six months in the state. These statistics highlight the urgent need for concerted efforts to improve breastfeeding practices in Cross River State.
She called upon governments, policymakers, partners, healthcare providers, employers, communities, and families to join this crucial endeavor. She also commended UNICEF, WHO, Nutritional International, Humanity Without Borders Empowerment Initiative, and other partners for their continued support of the nutrition and health programs of the Senator Prince Bassey Otu-led government in the state.
During the event, the Wife of the Governor and First Lady of Cross River State, Her Excellency, Rev. (Mrs.) Eyoanwan Otu, represented by her Special Assistant on Programmes, Apostle Dr. (Mrs.) Queen Eton Essien, highlighted the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for babies, mothers, and communities. She noted that the proven health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding are long-lasting and can extend into adulthood.
She also expressed concern over the low exclusive breastfeeding rates in the state (11%) and Nigeria (29%), which underscore the necessity of commemorating World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) in the state.
To address this gap and support breastfeeding, she reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that pregnant women and caregivers of children under two years of age benefit from social protection measures, extending maternity leave for mothers working in the state civil service to six months from the previous three months, and creating an enabling environment for development partners that support optimal nutrition interventions for mothers, children, and communities.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Ekpo Bassey; and the S.A to the Governor on Nursing, Mrs Uduak Spenser Ofem Representatives from UNICEF, WHO, and other development partners, all advocating for exclusive breastfeeding.
Highlight of the event was a record-setting gathering of over 1,000 mothers simultaneously breastfeeding their babies.
The Commissioner for Social Welfare and her Women Counterpart, SA to the Governor on Gender, members of the Nigeria Medical Association, State Health Insurance Agency and other top government functionaries as well as women groups graced the event.
