Mothers Support Groups Advocate for Exclusive Breastfeeding
Mother support groups in Nigeria are helping drive the ‘zero water’ campaign in Nigeria
Virah Sunday, a nursing mother from Otukpo, Benue State, Nigeria, cradled and breastfed her 3-month-old son, Eden, during their visit to the Primary Health Care Center in Otukpo Local Government Area for routine immunization and well-baby checks. Virah, looking lovingly at her son, shared,
“I am breastfeeding Eden exclusively because I did the same for my first child, who is growing up well and strong.”
She added, “My husband supports me with household chores, allowing me to focus on breastfeeding our baby.” Virah first learned about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding at the antenatal clinic.
They told me it makes babies grow up intelligent and strong,” she continued. “Even at home, we have a group of mothers who support breastfeeding, teaching and encouraging us to avoid giving water to our babies for the first six months of their lives.”
The Breastfeeding Mother Support Groups (BFMSGs) provide counseling, information, support, and group discussions to help women practice exclusive breastfeeding, share experiences, and care for their babies effectively. These groups complement the efforts of health service providers and professionals in the communities where nursing mothers live.
UNICEF, in partnership with the States' Ministry of Health and State Primary Health Care Development Agencies in Nigeria, has supported the establishment of hundreds of BFMSGs to promote sustained breastfeeding practices. Mrs. Hadiza Isah, an Otukpo resident and group member, chairs the Otukpo Breastfeeding Mother Support Group.
Breastmilk is the first natural food from a mother to her child right from birth, rich in lifesaving nutrients, Hadiza explained.
Health workers at the primary health care centers trained these support groups on the benefits of breastfeeding. The groups help nursing mothers, visit postnatal clinics to establish contacts and follow up on nursing mothers, raise community awareness, and track nursing mothers. Hadiza's group, one of many BFMSGs established by UNICEF in Nigeria, educates nursing mothers about the benefits of giving breast milk without adding water or supplements and maintaining personal hygiene to prevent diseases.
Hadiza encourages nursing mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding as a cost-saving measure that promotes healthy child growth, reducing the need for frequent clinic visits for preventable childhood diseases like diarrhea.
Mrs. Shar Faustina Mbanengen, the state nutrition officer for Benue, stated, "The state is pleased to continue partnering with UNICEF to deliver more results for every Benue child using the breastfeeding and first 1,000 days of a child initiative as a corridor."
With UNICEF's support, the Benue State Primary Health Care Board has achieved an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 56.8% by establishing 40 infant and young child support groups across 2 LGAs in the state.
With a 32% stunting rate among children under five years old in Nigeria, UNICEF is working alongside the government, partners, and all stakeholders to drive the first 1,000 days initiative using the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week celebration to champion the global “Zero Water” campaign and further advocate for exclusive breastfeeding and no water in the first six months of the child's life, starting with nursing education during pregnancy, postnatal care, and continuous nursing until the child is two years old," said Mrs. Ngozi S. Onuora, UNICEF Nigeria Nutrition Specialist.
