The world health bodies Monday said breastfeeding prevents 400,000 children’s death and 140,000 maternal deaths annually.
UNICEF executive director, Catherine Russell and WHO director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement urged countries to strengthen health systems to provide quality breastfeeding support for mothers and newborns.
The World Breastfeeding Week, under the theme: “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” will ensure UNICEF and WHO expand community-based counseling and peer programmes, fully implement and enforce the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
“Invest in paid maternity leave and supportive workplace policies,
integrate breastfeeding interventions into antenatal, prenatal, and postnatal health-care services; and sustain breastfeeding support in humanitarian and fragile contexts,” the statement reads.
The health bodies stated that breastfeeding is vital and by investing in proven solutions, the world can give every child the best possible start in life and ensure every mother gets the care and services she needs.
They stated further that breastfeeding is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to protect a child’s health as it provides infants and young children with essential nutrition, increases immunity, helps protect against serious illness, and supports cognitive development.
Yusuf allocates over 1,500 plots to expand land ownership in Kano (3)
By Ibrahim Hamisu
Kano
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano state has continued his administration’s commitment to expanding access to land ownership with the allocation of 1,588 plots of land to beneficiaries to reduce housing deficit and improve the welfare of citizens.
The latest allocation comes barely 24 hours after the governor distributed plots of land to his aides, bringing the total number of plots allocated within two days to over 2,000.
This was contained in a statement issued by the chief press secretary to the governor, Mustapha Muhammad, Monday.
During the first phase of the exercise held Saturday, land allocation documents were presented to senior special assistants, special assistants, senior special reporters, special reporters, and personal assistants. The second phase, held Sunday, witnessed polling unit agents, popularly known as ’
‘Yan Akwatu,’ receive their allocation documents.
Speaking at the event, Governor Yusuf said the initiative fulfills his promise to reward the dedication and loyalty of the polling unit agents while advancing his administration’s housing policy aimed at enabling more families to own homes.
Represented by the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji, the governor reaffirmed that his administration remains committed to serving all citizens of Kano state without discrimination.