The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) emphasizes that exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months after a child’s birth is a powerful life-saving practice critical to the long-term health and wellbeing of both mother and child.
At a zonal media dialogue in Enugu, Ngozi Onuora, a nutrition specialist at the UNICEF Field office, expressed concern over the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding, with only 38% of infants being exclusively breastfed in the first six months. This practice contributes to approximately 800,000 child deaths annually.
Onuora said, “The practice of feeding babies extra water, in addition to breast milk, is common in Nigeria.
“This is harmful as extra water not only introduces illness-causing pathogens, but also reduces the child’s thirst and effective suckling.”
She observed that over the years, the exclusive breastfeeding rate had shown only marginal increase from a very low rate of two percent in 1990 to 17% in 2019, as reported by the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey.
“The zero water campaign, therefore, promotes giving babies breast milk only on demand day and night and stopping the practice of giving water and other liquids and foods from the moment of birth through the first six months of life, so as to achieve the World Health Assembly global breastfeeding target of 50% by 2025,” she added.
Dr. Ijeoma Onuora Ogwe, the UNICEF Enugu Office Communications Officer, urged the media to set the agenda for the zero water campaign on exclusive breastfeeding.
She advocated for every working nursing mother to enjoy six months of maternity leave with assurance of job security.
“Practicing breastfeeding at work makes societies work, as it provides vital health and nutritional benefits for children with positive lifelong impacts, building healthier populations and workforces for the future,” Dr. Ogwe said.
She further emphasized, “All women everywhere, no matter their work, should have at least six months paid maternity leave, paid time off for breastfeeding, and flexible return to work options.”