Kwara: Residents Sensitised On Exclusive Breastfeeding Importance

Government of Kwara State has commenced a sensitisation campaign to enlighten the people of the state on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding assuring them of its resolve at promoting nutrition in the state.

The sensitisation campaign was part of the activities of the Kwara State Ministry of Communications’ Food and Nutrition Sensitisation Programme.

The State Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Saddiq Buhari, made the call on Saturday on the side-line of the Food and Nutrition Awareness Campaign with the theme ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ and ‘Exclusive Breastfeeding’.

Buhari stated that good nutrition was important for a healthy and balanced life, calling on parents, especially mothers, to ensure that they take care of their babies and follow health givers’ instructions by breastfeeding new born babies in the first 60 minutes of life after birth, and exclusively for the first six months with zero water.

“Exclusive breastfeeding also called EBF is as advantageous as it is cheap.

"God in his infinite wisdom has provided all our babies’ need for the first six months of life and we do not need to use our money to buy milk for them, all things being equal, till they are above six months.

“Breast milk will come naturally and according to the World Health Organisation, it has all the nutrients your babies need to carry them for the first 6 months after which you begin complimentary feeding.

"Water is in the breast milk in the right quantity so there is no need to give water to a baby under six months who is exclusively breastfed."