Breastfeeding saves lives: experts
Breastfeeding could save lives of more than 820,000 children in a year globally
Breastfeeding saves lives, say experts. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Unnecessary caesarean sections, misleading information by health professionals and aggressive marketing by the infant formula industry are the main challenges and hindrance in improvement in the breastfeeding practices, speakers said at an event to mark the breastfeeding week.
Breastfeeding could save lives of more than 820,000 children in a year globally, experts said at the culmination event of World Breastfeeding Week 2018, organised by UNICEF and the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) at Pakistan National Council of Arts.
Breastfeeding ratio rose by 10% in 2017
Unicef country representative Aida Girma, WHO country representative Dr Mohammad Assai Ardakani, Nutrition Director Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, PIMS Gynaecologist Prof Batool Mazhar and NHSRC secretary spoke on the occasion.
They said that breastfeeding has profound benefits for infants that extend beyond childhood, numerous benefits for mothers and benefits for the family.
Beyond these well-documented positive aspects for long-term health and well-being, breastfeeding has a beneficial impact on the workplace, the health care system and largely on society, they said, adding that investing in breastfeeding reduces the annual health care costs and increases productivity associated with higher intelligence.
Girma said legislation regarding Child nutrition and protection of breast milk benefits and implementation of these laws at provincial level should be the priority. Our Exclusive BF is only 38% that's why we are 44% stunted children which may leads to loss of 2-3% GDP. Also, our IQ level of children are compromised reluctantly our economic generation force would be diminished in a decade.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2018.
Unnecessary caesarean sections, misleading information by health professionals and aggressive marketing by the infant formula industry are the main challenges and hindrance in improvement in the breastfeeding practices, speakers said at an event to mark the breastfeeding week.
Breastfeeding could save lives of more than 820,000 children in a year globally, experts said at the culmination event of World Breastfeeding Week 2018, organised by UNICEF and the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination (NHSRC) at Pakistan National Council of Arts.
Breastfeeding ratio rose by 10% in 2017
Unicef country representative Aida Girma, WHO country representative Dr Mohammad Assai Ardakani, Nutrition Director Dr Baseer Khan Achakzai, PIMS Gynaecologist Prof Batool Mazhar and NHSRC secretary spoke on the occasion.
They said that breastfeeding has profound benefits for infants that extend beyond childhood, numerous benefits for mothers and benefits for the family.
Beyond these well-documented positive aspects for long-term health and well-being, breastfeeding has a beneficial impact on the workplace, the health care system and largely on society, they said, adding that investing in breastfeeding reduces the annual health care costs and increases productivity associated with higher intelligence.
Girma said legislation regarding Child nutrition and protection of breast milk benefits and implementation of these laws at provincial level should be the priority. Our Exclusive BF is only 38% that's why we are 44% stunted children which may leads to loss of 2-3% GDP. Also, our IQ level of children are compromised reluctantly our economic generation force would be diminished in a decade.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2018.