26% Nursing Mothers Practice Exclusive Breastfeeding In Rivers-UNICEF

The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has put the percentage of nursing mothers practicing exclusive breast feeding in Rivers State at 26percent.
The organisation said this at a one-day multi-zonal media Dialogue on Dissemination of Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021 Report organised by UNICEF incollaboration with the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA) in Port Harcourt.
The organisation similarly scored Ebonyi State high on immunisation coverage.
It put the national percentage for exclusive breastfeeding at 34percent,South-South 22.2percent, South-East 20.3percent and North-Central 38 .5percent.
On immunisation, UNICEF said Ebonyi State had the smallest proportion of children not immunised, while Sokoto State had the highest in the country.
On maternal health, UNICEF put the percentage for South-South at 63.7percent; South-East 94.8percent; and North-Central 59.3percent.
For infant and young child feeding,the organisation put North Central at 36.8percent,South-South 37.2percent,South-East 43.8percent and national average at 34.4percent.
Declaring the event open, Communication Officer of UNICEF, Enugu, Dr Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, said the objective of the dialogue was to identify media network in the FoS, sensitise to frame and highlight the health and nutritional impacts of the MiCs 2021 report on the future of children and women in the zone.
She said it was also meant to galvanise journalists and media practitioners in the South-South, South-East and North-Central to unify with governments and persons in positions to take favourable actions for the children’s wellbeing to make more visible the plight of children.
“Media is called to action and commitment garnered for increased reportage of situation of children”, she said.
Also speaking, Dr.EgheAbe, said infant and maternal mortalities were likely to reduce with increased awareness.
He said it behooves on the media to spread the campaign on why mothers should exclusively breastfeed their babies, at least, for the first six months of birth.
On her part, Mrs Maureen ZubieOkolo, said the MiCS has strengthenednational statistics and provided reliable data on immunisation coverage.
While saying that the survey covers the 36 states,she called for multi-stakeholders’ involvement to promote the value of the MiCS.
Rivers State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Mr Job Stanley Job, urged journalists not to only report political events but other areas that can benefit the society.
A communique made available to newsmen at the end of the event called for more media sensitisation on the importance of policies that would promote the well-being of children and mothers.

By: John Bibor & Tiete Preye Uroupa