A non-governmental organization (NGO), Afribaby Initiative, on Friday urged the Federal Government to implement the ”Innocent Declaration” on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.
The founder of the organization, Dr Oscar Odiboh, made the plea on the side-lines of a forum to unveil AFRIBABY’s activities for the 2015 World Breastfeeding Week in Lagos.
The 2015 World Breastfeeding Week with the theme: “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s make it Work” starts on Aug. 1 and ends on Aug. 7.
Innocent Declaration was produced and adopted by participants at the WHO/UNICEF policymakers’ meeting on “Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative”.
The meeting which held at the Spedale degli Innocent, Florence, Italy, between July 30 and Aug.1, 1990 was co-sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).
Innocent Declaration 1990, recognized that breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition for infants and contributes to their healthy growth and development.
Odiboh said, “We want the Federal Government to endorse the Innocent Declaration of 1990 and declare that all babies have rights to be breastfed.
“Some people think because the baby is innocent, the baby has no right. The Innocent Declaration states that every baby has a right.
“So, every baby has a right to be breastfed and as a mother, if you are not giving the baby breast milk you are depriving the baby its natural right”.
“The declaration states that as a global goal for optimal maternal and child health and nutrition, all women should practice exclusive breastfeeding.
“Also, infants should be fed exclusively on breast milk from birth to four or six months of age.
“Thereafter, children should continue to be breastfed alongside appropriate and adequate complementary foods for two years of age or beyond.”
He said experts had proved breast milk to be the most ideal and nutritious food for babies, adding that breast milk contributed to babies’ healthy growth and development.
Odiboh also called for conducive baby and breastfeeding friendly environment for working mothers.
“AFRIBABY, as representatives of Nigeria at the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), we also advocate and support women to combine breastfeeding and work.
“We are also bringing to the attention of Nigerians what we call `Friendly Work Place Initiative’, a 22-year-old global action that supports women in combining breastfeeding and work.
“It is an International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 183 on maternity protection which says a mother should have the opportunity to breastfeed her baby at work.
“Women must be allowed to combine breastfeeding and work in the formal, non-formal and home setting.
“As such, we urge government at all levels to persuade organizations to provide crèches and day care centers for women to breastfeed and take care of her baby,’’ he said.
Odiboh said the government should make it mandatory for airports and other major travelling points in the country to have breastfeeding and changing rooms.
“Institutions, including churches, transport companies, eateries and other public places should have breastfeeding and baby changing/cleaning points.
“Government, public and private organizations should have crèches in their premises where a mother, after working for some hours, can go and breastfeed her baby and go back to work,’’ he said.
Also, his wife, Olayinka, Executive Director of AFRIBABY, said there should be ratification and implementation of the maternity protection laws and regulations by government in line with ILO Maternity Protection Convention.
AFRIBABY is also asking for six months maternity leave for a mother to breastfeed her baby exclusively.
“We took a bill to the National Assembly and the Lagos State House of Assembly; we thank God that today, LASG has given six months maternity leaved to mothers.
“Other state governments and organizations should emulate Lagos State,’’ she pleaded.
In her remarks, Dr Bamisebi Adebayo, the Deputy Medical Director and Director Clinical Services and Training, General Hospital, Ifako, Ijaiye, said that “a child well breastfed turns out healthy, intelligent and smart’’.
Adebayo, who is also a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, said “we advocate that a mother breastfeeds exclusively for six months and introduce complementary food for at least one year.
“It has a lot of benefits to the mother and child; breast milk has great nutritional value, provides immunity and aids brain development. It is also more economical.
“An added advantage is also that of creating an affectionate bond between the mother and child”.
Innocent Declaration updated in 2005 reaffirms the tenets of the original Innocent Declaration of 1990 and sets nine targets for further improvement of breastfeeding support.
(NAN)
