Barb shop owner pledges aggressive exclusive breastfeeding campaingn in Taraba

Newspointer Sept 2, 2024

By Gabriel John

Mr Alphonsus Ande, owner of a popular barbshop, located beside Taraba Civil service Commission, in Jalingo says he will lead campaign for exclusive breastfeeding among his teaming customers  to enhance children’s health.

Ande told the NIGERIAN NEWSPOINTER on Saturday in Jalingo that his three  children have been beneficiaries of exclusive breastfeeding  and they were growing up as very healthy children.

He explained that he got the idea about  the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding from the  biology class in his  secondary school days and later, supported his wife to  achieve it.

“My family is very deliberate about exclusive breastfeeding for our children, given the health benefits that children  stand to gain.

“I already had an idea of  the numerous benefits of this practice in my biology class during  my secondary school days and got it confirmed anytime they are celebrating world breastfeeding week.

“What I have not been doing is to pass the valuable information to other men, who troop to my shop daily to have haircut to ensure the benefits get to other children, but from today, I promise you that this will become a daily topic in this shop,” he said.

NIGERIAN NEWSPOINTER recalls  that the United Nations  Children’s  Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field office, has recently held  a media dialogue in Yola, with a view to empowering journalists to excalate the breastfeeding campaingn in their areas.

Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF comprises Bauchi, Jos, Adamawa, Taraba and Gombe states.

 
Mrs Philomina Irene, UNICEF Nutrition Specialists, in a separate interview with our reporter listed the benefits of  exclusive breastfeeding, including protection of children  against infections, helping  intestine to mature and promotion of growth and development.

Others are, reduction of  risk of cardiovascular diseases through life, prevention of  allergy, enhancement of academic performance  among others.

She noted that despite the huge resources expended by UNICEF and others  over the years, in interventions targeting policy makers and mothers, the desired outcome was not achieved.

“After spending so much time and funds in interventions targeting policy makers and mothers, the result is still a far cry, that’s why we have decided to  focus on fathers and grandmothers, who are  believed to be  more influencial  in a family,” she said.

Irene  explained that the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021, showed that Adamawa has 53.3 per cent, Bauchi 26.4 per cent,  Gombe 30.6 per cent, Plateau 38.6 per cent and Taraba 33.7 per cent breastfeeding coverage respectively,  describing it as worrisome.

According to her, UNICEF believes that the committment from husbands and grandmothers would change the narrative for the better.

She called on  journalists to take the campaign to all the nooks and crannies of the society to ensure improvement in exclusive breastfeeding for healthy babies for a healthy society.

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