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“Convenient conditions for nursing mothers; Let's teach, Support!!” This year's breastfeeding week is being celebrated for the thirtieth time in the world and for the fourteenth time in our country.
Malnutrition problems are the cause of illness and death of about five million children in the world every year, according to the Director of Maternal, Child and Dietary Nutrition of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Meseret Zelalem, if it cannot be corrected from conception to two years of age, stunting and other nutritional imbalance problems will occur and in the next age group from generation to generation. She said that it will be a problem of nutrition that can be passed on from generation to generation.
Mothers give the first breast milk that is available after giving birth to the child, because it is as important as vaccination to protect the health of the child. She said that it is a great responsibility of any mother to start breastfeeding her child within one hour of giving birth and to give only her breast milk without any mixture for up to six months and to continue breastfeeding with complementary foods until the child is two years old.
The director called on all institutions and communities to shoulder their responsibilities in order to reduce child mortality and morbidity by addressing the problem of food inequality in our country by supporting mothers to breastfeed even in unfavorable conditions.
Dr. Jane Moita, representative of UNICEF, gave a speech on the gift of life from mother's breast milk; She stated that as the food of life is given by nature, mothers should breastfeed from the moment they give birth and it is the responsibility of all parties to provide support for this.
All stakeholders should work in creating an environment and conditions conducive to breastfeeding during the covid epidemic, man-made and natural disasters; The event conveyed a message that the government, private institutions and partner organizations as well as the community should make efforts to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Officials and representatives of the federal food and nutrition sector, officials and representatives of partner organizations and invited guests attended the event.