World Breastfeeding Week: Hon. Vin Udokwu lauds efforts, successes at improving infant, child nutrition

The honorable commissioner for health in Imo state, Hon. Vin Udokwu has commended the level of successes achieved toward promoting breastfeeding and improving child survival and maternal indices in Imo state. He gave his commendation in his address at the GRAND FINALE OF 2019 WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK CELEBRATION, which held at the headquarters of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, Imo state.

The World Breastfeeding Week is marked annually from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7, and the theme for 2019 is: “Empower Parents; Enable Breastfeeding now and for the future”.

“The Programme has effectively delivered in its mandate to promote maternal and child health in Imo state, particularly the strengthening of breastfeeding practices for improved health of newborns. It is very important, in ensuring the healthy growth and development of infants and young children through improved breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices”, the commissioner stated.

“I am delighted with the level of success achieved by the programme particularly in improving infant and child nutrition. I am encouraged by the progress achieved and determined to use this World Breastfeeding Week as a milestone to re-commit to the objectives of preventing illness, stunting and malnutrition, which is inline with the wishes of the rebuild Imo Agenda.

Dr. Udokwu noted that the event was aimed at empowering mothers to breastfeed properly, thereby helping their babies to start strong for a better future. Quoting the 2016 multiple indicator cluster survey, the commissioner noted that Imo state has infant and under-five mortality rates of 66/1,000 live births and 96/1,000 live births respectively and over 50% of the mortality are associated with malnutrition. He stressed that the nutritional status presently stands at 17.2% stunting, 8.1% wasting and 14.3% underweight.

Also in attendance of the epoch making event was the wife of the Governor Of Imo state, H/E, Lady Mrs. Ebere Ihedioha, who was represented by the commissioner for Gender and Vulnerable Groups Affairs, Hon. Mrs. Nkeiru Ibekwe.

The wife of the Governor expressed her sadness towards the negligence breastfeeding received from nursing mothers, “As a mother of all in the state, I feel sad about the situation of our children and therefore we must hit the ground running in order to reduce the high infant and under-five mortality rates. It will gladden my heart if the stunting, wasting and underweight rates among the under five children are reduced to the barest minimum”, she noted.

To mark the day’s event, award prizes were given to mothers who nursed their babies to WHO standards, while also maintaining the compulsory ante-natal and post natal programmes enshrined into it. The candidates for the award were drawn across the 27 LGA’s in the state, with Ihitte Uboma getting the first prize (John and Janice Issac ; Twins), Ezinihitte Mbaise came second (Chinyere Ukanwoke) while Owerri Municipal came third (Chikanma Inmocent).

Concluding, Dr. Udokwu appealed to all citizens of Imo state to support mothers to adhere strictly to the recommendations and plead especially with the husbands of breastfeeding mothers and mothers in-law, other family members and indeed the community to provide the family support to encourage the mothers to excel in the two care practices; this he said will help to reduce malnutrition and mortality among children to support development and leave a legacy for posterity.

http://screengist.com/2019/09/03/world-breastfeeding-week-hon-vin-udokwu-lauds-efforts-successes-at-improving-infant-child-nutrition/

Anything brest will get its way to fp

Ok