The State leg of World Breastfeeding Week was launched on Wednesday in the presence of medical practitioners, Government officials and social workers . The awareness week will be observed from August 1 to 7 and will focus on promoting breastfeeding facilities at workplaces in order to encourage the practise among working mothers. The launching ceremony was jointly convened by Save The Children and World Vision.
lack of crèche and breastfeeding facilities in MNREGA projects being carried out in the State was prominently taken up by the speakers.
“Despite having provisions in MNREGA Act for setting up crèche and breastfeeding corners at project sites, it is an alien concept in the state. Absence of these facilities discourages mothers from breastfeeding their babies even if they want to. Measures have to be taken up to intensive implementation these provisions across the state,” said Mahadev Hansda, State Programme Manager for Save The Children.
“There are no arrangements for breastfeeding facilities for women working in unorganised sector,” he added.
“Women are working in and out of their households. lactating mothers need support of the society they live in to encourage her to breastfeed her child, emotionally and otherwise. Establishments should implement practises like maternity leaves and breastfeeding breaks to ensure breastfeeding by their employees,” said Dr. Sunita Katyayan, renowned paediatrician and former JSCPCR member.
Katyayan stressed on the advantages of expressing breast milk by working mother so that their newborn children are not deprived of mother’s milk.
“If stored properly, mother’s milk can retain its full nutritional value indefinitely. It is up to the health workers to learn and propagate the methods for expressing breast milk among working –class women. Some hospitals have even set up mil banks to help lactating mothers with storing their breast milk,” she said.
“Numbers behind malnutrition, infant mortality and mother mortality are shockingly high in Jharkhand and breastfeeding can be a useful instrument in combating them. NGOs working in this direction should come together with state government. The campaigns should be spread to rural regions, with increased involvement of PRIs,” stated social welfare Director, and chief guest for the ceremony, Ravindra Prasad Singh.
All the speakers repeatedly highlighted the importance of initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and exclusive breastfeeding for six months. Radio jingle and short videos to be used for spreading awareness during the awareness week were released by the chief guest. An awareness van was also flagged off to mark the ceremony.