The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) has advocated for a zero water campaign to promote breastfeeding for babies in their first six months of life.
Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Enugu State stated this in Enugu at a zonal Media Dialogue on the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week and Zero Water Campaign organised by Anambra State government in collaboration with UNICEF Enugu Field Office
Chiluwe who was represented by Mrs Ngozi Onuora, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, reiterated the commitment of UNICEF to continue to champion the issues of mothers and children
She called for all hands to be on deck in sensitising the public on exclusive breastfeeding of every child in their first six month of life.
She said “we must always sensitize and educate the masses on the need to breastfeed their babies exclusively in order for the child to live a healthy life.
“We cannot do it alone so all hands must be on deck to give the right information to the public in terms of breastfeeding and nutrition.
“Our children’s health must not be neglected, if we neglect our children, their future will be neglected and their future will bleed so we must come together to ensure they live to enjoy brighter future,” she said
She thereby urged media practitioners to support the zero water campaign to ensure positive change from the public to exclusive breastfeeding practices for the survival of every child.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state, in his address stressed the important role exclusive breastfeeding plays in the lives of children as it enables them to enjoy good health.
The Governor who was represented by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mrs. Chisom Uchem said the solution to have healthy children is breastfeeding and nutrition.
Also speaking, Onuora, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF Field Office, Enugu described breastfeeding as a powerful lifesaver for every child.
She said “Breastfeeding is a basic foundation that makes a child healthy so we all must raise the visibility of breastfeeding as a foundation of child survival.”
Speaking about the meeting objectives, Mrs Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, Communications Officer, UNICEF, Enugu Field Office said the zero water campaign will last for four months
According to her “the campaign would take the following approaches which includes conversations at all levels on the importance of workplace support for breastfeeding, the benefits of breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and the impact on working parents.
“Utilise identified media channels to encourage employers to adopt supportive practices such as providing designated breastfeeding areas, flexible work schedules, and extended maternity leave.
“Media uptakes featuring personal and success stories of breastfeeding working parents to emphasize the importance of workplace support,” she added.
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