EBF saves lives says Funmi Akinyele, urges Nigerian media for adoption - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Chair, SubCommittee on Capacity Building at the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition Nigeria (CS-SUNN) Dr. Funmi Akinyele, has urged Nigerians, especially the media to join the campaign for Exclusive Breastfeeding because it saves lives, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Speaking at the 2019 media roundtable in Abuja on Exclusive Breast feeding put together by CS-SUNN in commemoration of the annual World Breastfeeding Week at Bon Hotel Elvis, on the theme: Exclusive Breastfeeding in the First 1000 Days: The Critical Window of Opportunity, she said that Nigerians should adopt EBF holistically because it saves.

She told participants at the roundtable with the theme: Changing the Nigerian story, that the EBF saves lives, because the first 1000 days is critical to growth of any child.

“The first 1000 days are the only crucial window to ensure a well-nourished child and reduce the likelihood of non-communicable diseases in adulthood,” she declared.

Akinyele also said that malnutrition is a global issue and is a significant public health issue in Nigeria, just as it encompassed “Undernutrition (Stunting, Wasting, Underweight); Over-nutiriton (Overweight, Obesity; and Hidden Hunger (Micronutrient Deficiency).”

Malnutrition, she said, could be prevented by early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, adequate and appropriate complementary feeding as well as adequate diet in adolescence and adulthood.

She pointed out that maternal nutrition is important pre-conception, during pregnancy, during lactation, and after pregnancy, while intervening at the adolescent stage is key to stopping the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.

The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technology