KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has stressed the importance of exclusively breastfeeding infants during the first six months of life, saying it supports children’s growth and health and reduces the risk of breast cancer among mothers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated August 1 to 7 as World Breastfeeding Week to raise public awareness about breastfeeding. The week is observed annually in many countries.
The MoPH also marked the week today (Sunday) under the theme, “Prioritize breastfeeding and establish sustainable support systems.”
Mawlawi Abdul Wali Haqqani, deputy minister for health service delivery, said at the event that breast milk was complete and sufficient food for a child during the first six months of life and also played an important role in maintaining the mother’s health.
“Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer,” he said.
He said the ministry had begun establishing comprehensive health centres (CHCs) across the country to protect and promote the health of mothers and children.
Dr Haidar Khan Haidar, director-general of preventive medicine at the ministry, said preventive measures needed to be strengthened across the country to protect society from communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, Dr Hikmatullah Masoomi, head of public nutrition at the ministry, said breast milk was not merely food but also played an important role in protecting children’s health and strengthening the economic well-being of society.
He said breastfeeding from birth reduced child mortality by 22 percent, while exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life reduced child mortality by 13 percent.
“We urge all mothers to feed their infants only breast milk during the first six months of life. After that, they should gradually introduce diverse complementary foods prepared at home and continue breastfeeding until the child reaches two years of age or beyond,” he said.
The ministry said it had accelerated efforts to strengthen public nutrition services across the country in cooperation with international partners.
It added that all health workers had been instructed to inform mothers about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding and encourage them to breastfeed their infants.
The ministry said breast milk had numerous benefits for both infants and mothers. Breastfeeding helps mothers recover more quickly after childbirth and reduces the risk of breast cancer.
The ministry stressed that breast milk is the best option for supporting a child’s health, growth and development, and mothers should make the best use of this opportunity to breastfeed their infants.
It also stressed the importance of mothers’ nutrition, saying pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should consume a diverse, nutritious and balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs and ensure an adequate supply of quality breast milk for their infants.
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