By Adamu Shehu Bauchi
Bauchi state primary healthcare development agency with the support of state house of assembly has vow to comes up with legislation that will provide the working parents in the state with enough time during working hours to breastfeed their babies.
The duo said efforts are in top gear to enact a law that will guarantee balancing the work and exclusive breastfeeding throughout the state.
The two institutions made this revelation at the media dialogue organized and supported by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF ) in Azare as part of the 2023 annual World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)
Dr.Rilwanu Mohammed state Primary Healthcare boss explain that with a view to encourage mothers for six months exclusive breastfeeding and boost child survival, the agency has re-echor it’s commitment toward saving lives of babies and their mothers through breastmilk says the move to established a specific law that will deals with all bottlenecks sorrounding the breastfeeding became imperative as Bauchi state will not carry last on the matter.
He maintained that the state governor Bala Mohammed is key to develop mothers and their babies to ensure healthy society through such effort on exclusive breastfeeding and is ready to assent as soon as house of assembly enact the law without any further delay
On his part Chairman, House Committee on Health Bauchi state house of assembly Lawal Dauda says the law is expected to deals with increase maternity leave to six months from the present 3 months in order to enable lactating mothers enough time to exclusively breastfeed their babies in line with infant health requirements.
Dauda, who is representing Sade Constituency, said that the proposed law if enacted, would promote best breastfeeding practices and save the lives of children under the age of five.
“We also had a brainstorming meeting with key stakeholders including donor partners on enabling breastfeeding for working mothers at the workplaces across the state.”
The lawmaker pointed out that Bauchi Assembly will ensure that there are improved breastfeeding practices that have the potential to save the lives of many children under five years.
They however noted that they will collaborate with different stakeholders including the husbands and the nursing mothers to intimate them on the importance of the law as well as entertaining their feedback for the smooth implimentation
The stakeholders commended the giant stride of Her Excellency, First Lady Bauchi state, Dr. Aisha Bala Mohammed for prompt action on issues of breastmilk and determination to make the maternity leave to be six months for working parents as well as in schools across the state.
