Lactating mothers in Busia County have been urged to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after birth in order to nurture healthy babies.
Speaking to the Press at a forum in Busia town on Wednesday, Busia County Nutrition Coordinator Scholastic Navade said that 80 percent of mothers who deliver their babies at the health facilities breast feed the new born within the first one hour as recommended by the WHO.
“But we realize that most of these mothers are not able to continue with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and instead introduce the babies to other food substances as early as three months,” she said.
Navade added that there was need to work closely with the community leaders, the media and religious leaders to sensitize the community about their role in supporting lactating mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding.
The chairman of Busia County Interfaith Network James Wanyama pledged his commitment that the religious leaders will set aside breastfeeding stations within their places of worship so that lactating mothers can freely breastfeed their babies during worship services.
“At times lactating mothers have been subjected to humiliation when breastfeeding their children by being forced to cover their breasts while in church,” he said adding that mothers should be free to feed their children whenever they want.
The Secretary Interfaith Network, Sheikh Mohammed Oyolo on his part emphasized the Islamic teaching on the need for mothers to breastfeed their babies for two years.
“Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their children for the first six months but they also need to continue for a period of upto two years even after weaning,” he said.
Oyolo urged close family members and male spouses to support lactating mothers so that they can have a conducive environment with their newborns.
He pointed out that Islamic women have free space to breastfeed their babies as opposed to their Christian counterparts since places of worship for male and female are separate.
“Islamic law also allows lactating mothers to abstain from fasting during Ramadhan because they need to eat well so that their babies can have enough milk,” he said.
The Director of Rural Education and Empowerment Program (REEP), Mary Makokha said that breasts should not be considered as private body parts.
Makokha noted that breastfeeding should be prioritized for lactating mothers and mothers should not multi task while carrying out this exercise.
She pointed out the need to support teenage mothers so that they do not feel shy while breastfeeding their babies.
“I want to emphasize that breastfeeding is very important for newborns and it should be encouraged by all members of the community,” she said.
By Salome Alwanda
