The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged Borno and Yobe state governments to review maternity protection policy and adopt the extended six months maternity leave for working mothers.
Phuong Nguyen, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, North-East, made the call on Monday in Maiduguri while speaking to newsmen on the 2023 World Breastfeeding Week, with theme “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents”.
Nguyen also called for the provision of baby creches in all offices, to ensure that working mothers in government and private sectors breastfeed their infants for six months.
“In Borno State, over 58 per cent of newborns are not exclusively breastfed for six months while over 75 per cent of children in Yobe State do not have the advantage of exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
“As I speak, too many newborns are missing out on the advantages of early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding in their first six months of life. This is unacceptable.
“Early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding with zero water for six months are child protection measures which contribute greatly to their well-being and set them up for higher achievement in life,” Nguyen said.
She urged for improved sensitisation and enlightenment on the benefits of early initiation of breastfeeding and the need for polices that support women to sustain exclusive breastfeeding.
Nguyen stressed the need to work with influential personalities, including religious and traditional leaders in promoting the benefits of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding.
While noting that children in the North-East were some of the most disadvantaged children in the world, she said they were facing daunting challenges that could lead to deficits in their development.
