Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, the Upper East Regional Director, Ghana Health Service (GHS), says exclusive breastfeeding for six months formed the foundation of child health and development.
Breast milk provided infants with the best start in life, as it was universally recognised to be the ideal food for infants, which offered a perfect blend of the essential nutrients, antibodies and growth factors vital for their development.
Dr Boakye-Boateng was speaking at this year’s World Breastfeeding week celebration in Bolgatanga, on the theme: “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All”.
The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually from August 1 to 7 to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
The celebration, supported by the United States Agency for International Development, saw health officials holding placards with inscriptions like: “Breastfeeding rocks: Let’s celebrate healthy babies,” “Breast milk tailored nutrition for little tummies.”
The health officials went on a float on the principal streets of Bolgatanga and Dr Boakye-Boateng, holding a placard with the inscription: “Give only breast milk for the first six months of life for good health, strength and intelligence,” led the float to create awareness among members of the public on the importance of breastfeeding.
He said theme was a clarion call on all stakeholders to focus on inclusivity and equity in breastfeeding support, adding: “We must ensure that support reaches all mothers, regardless of their socio-economic status, their geographical location or their education level.”
He said early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hours of birth was important for both the mother and child, and indicated that first breast milk contained colostrum, which was highly nutritious with antibodies that protected newborns from infection.
“Early initiation of breastfeeding also encourages bonding between the mother and her newborn, especially through skin-to-skin contact, which facilitates the production of breast milk,” Dr Boakye-Boateng added.
Per the Service Performance Indicators in the Region, the Director said it rated 94.57 percent in 2023, 93.41 in 2022, and 93.39 percent in 2021 in terms of early initiation of breastfeeding.
He said the positive trend continued with a significant increase to 96.82 percent from January to June 2024, adding that it was important for stakeholders to commit themselves to promoting breastfeeding and ensure every child received the best possible start in life.
To achieve that, Dr Boakye-Boateng said it was important for stakeholders to recognise the gaps that existed and hindered breastfeeding, including lack of support for mothers, misinformation and some socio-economic pressures.
“Our task, therefore, as health workers, stakeholders and the entire community is to bridge these gaps by ensuring that every mother has access to the right information, the much-needed resources, and the maximum support she needs to breastfeed her child effectively,” he said.
Alhaji Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said the theme resonated with the Government’s policies on child and maternal health as it highlighted the essential need for inclusive and comprehensive support systems for breastfeeding mothers worldwide.
He said some legislative work was done to implement infant and maternal protection laws to create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and ensure access to lactation support services in the country.
GNA