The Kaduna state government through the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (KSPHCDB) and Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) in collaboration with a global nutrition Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Alive and Thrive have pushed for better awareness with stakeholders on the need to enable breastfeeding for working mothers.

this was part of the activities held in commemoration of the 2023 world breastfeeding week with the theme: “Enabling breastfeeding, making a difference for working mothers.”

In her presentation at the event, Alive & Thrive zonal coordinator in Kaduna State, Sarah Kwasu, stressed the need to promote and support breastfeeding mothers while calling on government at all levels, public and private sectors, workplaces, and community gatekeepers to scale up breastfeeding promotion and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments for lactating mothers and their babies.

She said they were also advocating for the establishment of creches across MDAs and other workplaces and pushing for the legislation of six months of paid maternity leave.

“We will continue to partner with government and other stakeholders to expand and strategically scale up primary health care facilities which will enhance breastfeeding”, she said, adding that breastfeeding is one of the best investments in children and women’s health and survival.

The advocacy was aimed at engaging with individuals and understanding the workplace challenges and way forward for breastfeeding mothers and also engaging with organizations, government, stakeholders, and other partners on ways to mitigate challenges to promote breastfeeding at workplaces.

While speaking at the event, the Director of Public Health, Kaduna State, Dr. Aishatu Abubakar Sadiq, noted that the essence of the commemoration week was to highlight and emphasize the effectiveness of breastfeeding.

The engagement was also to solicit commitment from institutions for the establishment of creches, develop the next plan of action, and get stakeholders’ commitment to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in Kaduna State.