Rivers
ANOLGA Sole Administrator’s Wife Distributes Seedlings to Breastfeeding Mothers … Calls for Home Gardens to Promote Sustainable Food Supply
Wife of the Sole Administrator of Andoni, Prof. Amiye Francis, has distributed seedlings to breastfeeding mothers in Andoni Local Government Area (LGA) aimed at promoting sustainable food supply and encouraging exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
The seedlings distributed included pepper, tomatoes watermelon and cucumbers.
In an event to commemorate this year’s Breastfeeding Week held at the Council’s Secretariat in Ngo Town, Prof. Francis advocated for home gardens as a means to ensure a steady food supply for nursing mothers.
She recommended that nursing mothers plant crops like yam, potato, plantain, and pepper in containers or backyards, to promote self-reliance and healthy eating habits.
On his part, the Medical Officer of Health, Andoni Local Government Area, Dr. Mbaba Mbatumu, emphasized the significance of breastfeeding in preventing health related sickness like type 2 diabetes, respiratory infections, and obesity in infants.
Dr. Mbatumu also highlighted the benefits of breastfeeding, including its cost-effectiveness and the bonding it fosters between mother and child, and encouraged mothers to exclusively breastfeed, emphasizing that, “breast milk is essential for infant nutrition and healthy growth.”
To sustain breastfeeding, the health expert advocated for the formation of support groups and encouraged communities to make breastfeeding a norm.
Mbatumu also noted that the focus of this year’s theme is on the critical role breastfeeding plays in creating a sustainable environment and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting breastfeeding practices, in line with WHO and UNICEF recommendations, which include early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding up to two years or beyond.
Responding on behalf of other beneficiaries, Zilla Goodness expressed gratitude to the wife of the Andoni Sole Administrator for spearheading the programme, which she noted has not only equipped them with knowledge on breastfeeding techniques, but also empowered them to care for their babies.
The World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually in the first week of August, had as its theme “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support System”.