Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daudi says there is a need to support breastfeeding mothers in our hospitals and workplace at all times, to safeguard the lives of children in Malawi.
The Deputy Minister said this yesterday at Khudzu community ground, Senior Chief Mwalala, Salima District during the launch of World Breastfeeding Week.
Speaking at the launch Daudi urged for a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers, highlighting that breastfeeding protects babies against both short-term and long-term illness, including obesity in later life.
“Hospital and workplace environments should be supportive of breastfeeding mothers at all times. Breastfeeding mothers should receive support from health workers at the health facility level. This support should be also provided by employers and business premises management,” she said.
According to Daudi Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding addresses inequalities that stand in the way of sustainable development.
“It is, therefore, important for all of us to create a conducive environment for our women to meet the recommended breastfeeding practices for the sake of the children to grow to their fullest potential and have a good start in life,” she explained.
She then asked Health Workers, policymakers in the private sector, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs, traditional and religious leaders, and the general public to create an enabling environment for breastfeeding through support and removal of all obstacles to successful breastfeeding.
Dr Charity Shandaziwa Chief of Nutrition at UNICEF, said there are challenges in the informal sector where women who are working in the informal are not being supported in terms of maternity rate and spaces, where they can exclusively breastfeed in terms of expressing milk and breastfeeding mothers need to be supported at all cost.
Shandaziwa also noted that men’s involvement is very important because women are burdened in terms of the work they are doing and men out there need to be supporting their wives, contributing to work that is happening outside the home. So that the mother can have enough time to take care of the child.
World Breastfeeding Week, observed from August 1st to 7th, aims to raise awareness of the essential role of breastfeeding in child development and survival.
This year’s theme, “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All,” underscores the importance of providing support to all breastfeeding mothers.
