‘K-P offices to have breastfeeding corners’

Health secretary says govt may consider giving nutritional supplements, cash grants to lactating mothers

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government will launch a pilot project of establishing breastfeeding corners to facilitate mothers in feeding their children, K-P Health Secretary Jamil Farooq said.

These breastfeeding corners will be established, initially in the health department, then some other government offices and finally at all government offices with the target of providing facility at all public places.

Speaking at the inauguration of World Breast Feeding Month in K-P, he reminded that mother feed is the first and foremost nutrient for a child, experts said asserting promotion of breastfeeding for a healthier nation.

The gathering laid stress on importance of breastfeeding and its role in child survival and development was discussed and demanded implementation of K-P Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Act besides curbing sale and promotion of formula milk products.

The K-P Health Department with the support of UNICEF is celebrating global breastfeeding month in 17 districts of K-P, all newly merged districts and former frontier regions.

A large number of health care providers including president of PPA, paediatricians, directors from the health directorate, representative of UNICEF, WFP and other UN agencies plus civil society and non-profit organisations, academia and media personnel participated in the launch.

Participants demanded increasing maternal leave to six months so that mothers can exclusive breastfeed their children, while they also demanded breastfeeding rooms and day care centres in each office complex and commercial building.

Health Secretary Farooq said: “We are initiating a project to provide financial support to the mother over breastfeeding.”

While on the occasion the UNICEF Peshawar Nutrition Officer Salma Khatoon said: “we will support department of health in establishing breastfeeding rooms in different departments/institutions to inculcate and revive the culture of breastfeeding and will also provide technical support to department of health in legislation regarding maternity leave.”

She said the take home message is that optimal breastfeeding is vital to the lifelong good health and wellbeing of women and children, she added that WHO and UNICEF recommend early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond, with introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary (solid) foods at six months.

The gathering was also attended by the Dr Haroon Khan, Director Nutrition, Dr Saeed Gul, ADGHS, Paediatrician Dr Amin Jan Gandapur, University of Peshawar College of Home Economics Principal Dr Farhat Shehzad.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2019.