Thousand of maternal deaths and 302 billion dollars in economic losses each year will be reduced by scaling of breastfeeding.
The World Health Organisation WHO in 1991 inaugurated the Breastfeeding week.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in more than 170 countries around the world. It is an international occasion to protect, promote and support breastfeeding anywhere and anytime.
As part of activities to commemorate the World Breastfeeding Week, here in Rivers state, a consultant paediatrician with the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital BMSH Dr Ene Aitafo says breastfeeding reduces the risk of child obesity by more than 10 per cent.
Dr Ene Aitafo who is the head of Paediatrics department said babies who are breastfed have a lower risk of deaths in their first five years.
She said formula foods to babies also deprives a bond time with the mother and child. Breastfeeding generally saves money and helps the parents save for the future.
Dr Ene Aitafo further called on government at all level and well-meaning Nigerians to support and promote breastfeeding.
She said government and private business owners should create a conducive working environment for breastfeeding mothers to come to work with their babies and breastfeed them in other to actualize the WHO standard of breastfeeding.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
This year theme is Breastfeeding the foundation of Life.
