MALNUTRITION: 600,000 Children Die of Malnutrition Yearly - UNICEF

9 August 2010
About 600,000 children die yearly from malnutrition which is said to be one of the results of failure to breastfeed the child exclusively for the first six months.
In a statement issued by UNICEF to celebrate this year' World Breast Feeding Week, it asserted that malnutrition is having a ravaging effect because the rate of exclusive breastfeeding has dropped, noting that "it increased significantly from 2 per cent in 1990 to 17 per cent in 2003 -but then fell to 13 per cent in 2008 in Nigeria."
UNICEF attributed some of the reasons to inadequate training for healthcare workers, weak application of the 10 Steps, lack of knowledge and cultural practices and beliefs.
The UN body therefore called on health professionals to encourage new mothers to breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first six months, adding that the information that mothers receive from healthcare providers exerts a strong influence on their attitudes to breastfeeding.
"Breast milk completely meets an infant's nutritional requirements, and protects babies from dangerous illnesses," said Dr. Suomi Sakai, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. "Nothing protects a newborn's life better than exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life."
The theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week is Breastfeeding: Just 10 Steps--the Baby-friendly Way. The 10 Steps, introduced by WHO and UNICEF in 1989 have been adopted by more than 1,100 maternities in Nigeria, and call on every facility providing healthcare for pregnant women, new mothers and newborns to, propagate it.
Government of Nigeria, in line with WHO guidelines, promotes exclusive breastfeeding among new mothers who are HIV-positive while providing them with antiretroviral drug therapy to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV through breast milk.
According to her, whether they deliver in a maternity clinic or at home, women have the right to learn about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and be encouraged to practice it.
" It is vitally important that new mothers find support for exclusive breastfeeding not only in the primary health care system, but in their families, the community, and the workplace as well," she said.

Ruby Leo
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