UNICEF urges media to engage fathers for increased exclusive breastfeeding practice
By Samuel Luka, Bauchi
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has tasked the media on the urgent need to engage fathers as part of strategy towards emboldening the practice of exclusive breastfeeding among Nursing mothers within its Bauchi Field Office, comprising of Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Gombe and Bauchi states.
Speaking at a media round table discussion in Adamawa state on Wednesday, the UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, Philomena Irene said engaging the fathers who are the decision makers in their various homes, will no doubt make positive impact in an effort towards making the women embrace exclusive breastfeeding.
Irene who said that the workshop with the theme: “Closing the gap, breastfeeding for all”, maintained that there is the need to bridge the gap in Bauchi Field office to ensure a healthy society.
The Nutrition Specialist while regretting that more than 80 percent mothers do not practice exclusive breastfeeding as indicated by 2021 MICs report, charged journalists to now shift their advocacy to men who are decision makers in their houses.
Irene who emphasized that exclusive breastfeeding is the first immunization which is safe, affordable and environmentally friendly, noted that it protects the child’s antibodies, tasked the media as change agents to continue to use their writing skills to change the perception of the people towards the practice of exclusive breastfeeding to improve the wellbeing of the children.
According to her, to further encourage the practice of exclusive breastfeeding, men should be the main target of the media for the advocacy because they are the determinants of what should be done in their homes.
Also speaking, the District Head of Nyibago, Abubakar Jika, said most of the hospital facilities are always under pressure of child patients as a result of failure of their mothers to accord them the needed six months exclusive breastfeeding.
The monarch who emphasized on the need for nursing mothers to embrace the practice, disclosed that with exclusive breastfeeding, number of children felling sick will reduce drastically.
According to him, by reducing the number of children felling sick, the government can save and channel to other means of livelihood such as schools, social amenities and infrastructural facilities.
According to him, as traditional leaders, they will work tirelessly to ensure that the message of exclusive breastfeeding been champion by the UNICEF is stepped down to the communities to increase its practice by the people.