Less than 50% infants in FCT are not exclusively breastfed, says minister

The FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, on Thursday revealed that about 48 per cent of infants were not exclusively breastfed in the Federal Capital Territory.

Aliyu, who made the revelation at the commemoration of 2021 World Breastfeeding Week, held in Garki, Abuja, said almost half of FCT babies are denied the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

The minister said that the situation had created a margin which could, among others, be the poorest of the poor that requires extra efforts to reach.

She also disclosed that from January to June 2021, FCT had registered and treated 1,728 cases of acute malnourished under five children.

The minister, who noted that suboptimal breastfeeding precipitated malnutrition, however, acknowledged that the administration was making steady progress towards improving infant and young child nutrition.

Aliyu noted that the multi-indicators cluster survey report of 2017 showed that the FCT had 52 percent of infants aged 0 – 6 months old, exclusively breastfed, which was the second best breastfeeding rate in Nigeria.

She said the theme of this year’s event “Protect Breastfeeding: A shared Responsibility” aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals campaign and highlighted the importance of supporting mothers to breastfeed for as long as they wished.

“It is gratifying to note that FCT has adopted and adapted, as well as continued to implement all policies and guidelines.

“As a matter of fact, some FCT health institutions, particularly the Asokoro, and Maitama Districts Hospitals, that were designated ‘Baby Friendly’, are still running twice a week breastfeeding clinic on Wednesdays and Thursdays”, she noted.

The FCT Administration had supported and would continue to promote the practice of breastfeeding, especially putting babies to the breast within the first hour of birth, the minister added.

Breastfeeding played a very important role in improving children’s health, Aliyu said, adding that it was also one of the best investments for saving infants’ lives and improving the health, social and economic development of individuals and nations.

Earlier, Dr Kawu Mohammed, the Acting Secretary, FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, identified cultural norms and traditional beliefs as some of the factors that could undermine the progress made so far in the territory.

Kawu, who noted that whilst the ultimate responsibility for ensuring women and children rights to protection and survival lay with the government, these rights cannot be fulfilled without the involvement of household members, communities, development partners and the private sector.

He, therefore, solicited support for a collective responsibility for maximum breastfeeding practices by women, to ensure adequate protection, survival and development of women and children in the FCT.