Emem Julius Citing the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, the Cross River State Government has approved a six-month extended pay maternity leave for nursing and breastfeeding mothers in the state’s workforce. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Ayuk, disclosed this in Calabar during a briefing to commemorate the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week. The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually between August 1 to 7, and the theme of the 2024 celebration is ‘Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.
Ayuk said the extension became necessary based on the benefits of breastfeeding to the child, mother and society at large. He said statistics from UNICEF showed that Nigeria had the second highest burden of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 per cent of children under five years, which was higher than the average of the African region. He said, “An estimated two million children in Nigeria are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and only 17 per cent of babies are exclusively breastfed within their first six months of age.
“In Cross River, available data show that 23 per cent of children under five years of age are stunted due to acute malnutrition which is of great concern to the state, hence its emphasis on breastfeeding and child nutrition. “To further demonstrate the state’s commitment, a matching fund of N100 million to support the purchase of multiple micronutrient supplementation has been provided by the gover.