Families urged to support breastfeeding mothers
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR has called on families, employers and communities to support mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, saying the practice is essential for raising a healthy and productive population.
Speaking during World Breastfeeding Week commemorations, Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services at the Ministry of Health, Mwanaisha Juma Faki said successful breastfeeding requires support from fathers, families, employers, community leaders and institutions.
“Breast milk is the first and best food for a child. It provides all essential nutrients, protects against diseases and lays a strong foundation for physical growth and cognitive development,” she said.
Ms Faki said investing in breastfeeding was an investment in Zanzibar’s future because it improves the health of children, families and the wider community.
She urged society to remove barriers that prevent mothers from breastfeeding effectively, including workplace challenges and harmful cultural practices. According to national guidelines, children should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, after which they should receive complementary foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years or beyond.
“The government has continued to strengthen maternal and child health services through nutrition education, training of health workers and community awareness programmes,” Ms Faki said.
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She warned that failure to provide early breast milk can lead to poor physical and mental development, illness and malnutrition. Recent Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2022 data show that 40.7 per cent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, up from 30 per cent in 2015/2016.
The survey also found that 98.4 per cent of children continue breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding. Despite the improvement, Ms Faki said more efforts are needed to ensure that every child benefits from exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life.
She called on the public to promote exclusive breastfeeding and make use of nutrition counselling services available at health facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr Kamiliya Ali Omar, Manager of Integrated Maternal and Child Health Services, said the commemorations serve as a reminder of the importance of breastfeeding in giving children a healthy start in life.
Zanzibar Nutrition Coordinator Fatma Ali Said advised mothers to breastfeed for at least 20 to 30 minutes per session, saying very short feeding sessions may not provide sufficient nutrition for infants.
