NATIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIONAL FOOD AND NUTRITION COMMISSION URGES DECISION MAKERS AND CITIZENS ESPECIALLY THE MENFOLK TO ‘’PROTECT BREAST FEEDING’’ TO CURB CHILD MALNUTRITION
Lusaka (Friday, 6th August 2021)- This year’s World Breast Feeding Week being observed from the 1st of August to the 7th of August 2021, the National Food and Nutrition Commission of Zambia is urging decision makers and citizens especially the menfolk to protect breast feeding as a means to curb child malnutrition.
The global theme for this year’s World Breast Feeding Week, is ‘’protect breast feeding: A shared responsibility’’. The aim of the theme is to encourage everyone to support breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
In Zambia, only 70% of the infants under age 6 months were found to be exclusively breastfed. For a higher impact (reduction in malnutrition such as stunting), the coverage should be 80% and above. With its promotion and support, breastfeeding can attain higher coverage and make a significant difference on malnutrition. Breast feeding is recognized as a very serious and important child survival strategy. Therefore, the National Food and Nutrition Commission is requesting that the menfolk also rally in the promotion and protection of Breastfeeding.
Even in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic it is noted that the standard guidelines are supposed to be observed that is initiation of breastfeeding in the first hour of birth; exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding to two years or beyond as long as the mothers observe the prescribed COVID 19 health guidelines.
A reminder to the general public, breast milk is readily available, it is cheap and meets all the nutritional requirements of babies up to 6 months of their lives; and gives the first form of protection from diseases and infections.
Therefore it’s important that everyone gets involved in protecting breastfeeding because it’s the best gift a mother and father can give to her/his child.
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Nutrition Education and Communication Unit
National Food and Nutrition Commission
P.O. Box 32669, Lusaka
Tel: +260 211 227 803
www.nfnc.org.zm
