Niger State government has disclosed that Early Initiated Breastfeeding (EIB) has declined in the last five years to 35.5%, adding that exclusive breastfeeding has remained on the same level.
While lamenting the level of decline at a 5 Day Desk review and Domestication of Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategy for Nutrition in Niger State organized by the State Ministry of Primary Health Care in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the State Nutrition Officer, Hajia Asmau Abubakar said breastfeeding should ideally be continued to atleast twenty four months after birth.
According to her, "in Niger state, the Early Initiated Breastfeeding rate has declined from the 42% it was in 2018 to 36% in 2023, according to the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS).
"We need to do more to ensure our mothers initiate breastfeeding with their newborns early to breast milk, especially the colostrum, which some tag as bad breast milk.
"While only one out of three babies are given breast milk in the first hour after birth, only a poor 29% are exclusively breastfed.
She added that for under 5, the state has 43.9% stunting cases, 23.7% underweight, and 5.8% wasting.
Speaking also, the Chief of UNICEF, Kaduna Officer, Dr Gerida Birukila said Nigeria contributes significantly to the burden of malnutrition and accounts for over 40 per cent of the burden of stunting alongside India and Pakistan.
Dr Birukila, who was represented by Chinwe Ezeife, UNICEF Nutrition Specialist, said "progress has been made, but the virtual cycle of the burden of malnutrition represents a nationwide public health challenge."
While saying that the policy is a strategic approach informed by evidence-based research that facilitates adoption of appropriate desired behaviours, Dr Birukila said Domestication is very important because of persistent malnutrition across life stages.
Accordingly, she said, "the SBC Strategy is to identify and engage with stakeholders who can influence positive feeding practices, not only innovative but to provide simple actions that resonate with the cultural environment of the people of Niger state."
In her goodwill message, the Director, Nutrition, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, who was represented by Acting Head of Advocacy, Mrs Adenike Bayode, urged the stakeholders to mainstream SBC in Nutrition programming so as to change the narrative.