12 Jun 2016

In its quest to encourage breastfeeding, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with other stakeholders conducted a breastfeeding solidarity march on Friday.

The march began at the Three Dikgosi Monument to Rail Park Mall in Gaborone. Speaking at the event, a representative from the ministry, Mr Saviya Sebaka said they wanted to raise public awareness on the promotion, support and protection of breastfeeding.

He said they also “strive to make it easy for mothers to breastfeed in any public place hence they want to create a baby friendly workplace environment that supports breastfeeding.” Mr Sebaka added that breastfeeding was essential to child growth and development.

“Newborns and infants survive and thrive when they are feedbreast. Breast milk is important in the ultimate life of humans because it reduces risks of diabetes, obesity and most breastfeed babies perform better in intelligence tests,” he added.

He noted that the optimal breastfeeding practice was two years, and that it was the most effective intervention to protect children from common deaths such as pneumonia, diarrhea and other newborn infections.
Mr Sebaka said the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics show that about 1.5 million infants around the world die because they were not breastfeed.  

He noted that about 500 babies who were formula fed died during the 2005 and 2006 diarrheal outbreak in Botswana.

He also noted that breastfeeding rates were low in the country with only 20.6 per cent of babies’ breastfeed up to six months. He said despite the misconceptions about breastfeeding there was a lack of knowledge and support towards breastfeeding.

He said most people do not know the importance of breastfeeding because there was inaccurate advice from some health workers on breastfeeding. He urged the public to support mothers and open doors for pregnant and lactating women so that breastfeeding coud be successful.

Ms Mimi Mokgwathi, a co-host of the breakfast show in Yarona FM, encouraged breastfeeding among the youth. She said she breastfed her baby for 13 months, but wished to have done it for the recommended two years.
She said women should stop worrying about what would happen to their breasts after breastfeeding, but worry more about the health and growth of their newborn babies.

“Why do women fall pregnant and give birth to babies if they do not want their bodies to change? Don’t give birth if you do not want to breastfeed that baby,” she said. She said body appearance or beauty should not be an excuse for women not to breastfeed their babies.

She urged men to support their partners on breastfeeding. Ends