Yobe, UNICEF honour 11 mothers over six months exclusive breastfeeding
From Habibu Idris Gimba, Damaturu
The Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Board in collaboration with the United Nations of Children Emergency Fund have honoured 11 mothers for exclusively breastfeeding their children in the last six months.
The outstanding women received their awards and gifts during the state flag-off ceremony of the 2023 world breastfeeding week held at Dodon Zare Primary Health Community Care in the Potiskum LGA area of Yobe state.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Management Board Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, said the achievers of exclusive breastfeeding were selected across the state to encourage more.
‘‘This will give way to support mothers to sustain exclusive breastfeeding and also, encourage the breastfeeding supporters to support mothers in ensuring that children are exclusively breastfed in their first 6 months of life without, giving any other thing even water or drugs unless on medical prescription,’’ he said
Narrating the importance of six-month breastfeeding, Machina said ‘‘scientific research has proven that breast milk is a unique nutritional source that cannot be replaced by any other food not even well-formulated infant formula, and the benefits include fewer childhood infections, increased intelligence probable protection against overweight and cancer prevention for mothers.”
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Health Abdullahi Muhammad Jawa, said the state government has recently expanded the free Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and other health services to all pregnant mothers and children under five years.
