Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzanian government has disclosed that at least 500 children below the age of five years die every day in the country due to malnutrition related problems.
Tanzanian Permanent Secretary in the Health and Social Welfare Ministry Blandina Nyoni made the remarks at the Commemoration of World Breast-feeding Week in Dar es Salaam, the local newspaper the Guardian reported on Sunday.
About 130 of the children below six months of age succumb to death every day as result of undernourishment, according to the records from the Ministry.
Nyoni said breast-feeding is the only solution to malnutrition, appealing to all breast-feeding mothers to breast feed their children up to the age of two.
A child should be exclusively breast-fed without giving him even water until reaching the age of six months, Nyoni said, adding that in case of sickness a doctor's recommendation should be sought.
She said the breast milk protects children from infections such as diarrhea, chest and ear infections, adding that breast-feeding helps delay a new pregnancy and creates a loving bond between mother and child.
Breast-feeding is the least expensive and most effective intervention for preventing malnutrition and serving children lives, according to Nyoni.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/health/2010-08/24/c_13458914.htm
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