Health officials have urged public and private institutions within Busia County to support breastfeeding by establishing lactation centres at the work place. The County Nutrition Coordinator Scholastic Nabade said there is need to have designated places to promote breastfeeding which has numerous benefits to new born babies.
“Efforts by our healthcare workers to provide support to mothers, who have given birth to exclusively breastfeed their children for the first 6 months have not been to the expectation, due to various challenges among them reporting to work before the elapse of the period,” said Nabade.
She made the remarks at Farm View Hotel in Busia town during a meeting organized by the Busia Department of Health and Sanitation in conjunction with Nutritional International to sensitize institutional managers drawn from churches, banks and hospitals on the importance of having breastfeeding centres.
She disclosed that despite being enshrined in the employment Act of 2007 and health a
Act of 2017, the implementation status has remained low due to lack of awareness among employers and other key stakeholders.
“We have plans to create awareness on the acts to make sure that residents understand their rights. This will help increase the number of mothers who exclusively breastfeed in the County and reduce cases of death among children under the age of one year,” said the coordinator.
Nabade, who was accompanied by her Deputy Vincent Kwena, revealed that a lactation station will be set up at the Busia County Referral Hospital (BCRH), adding that several churches have also shown interest of establishing the facilities.
The Government of Kenya enacted the Health Act, 2017 which requires that all employees establish lactation stations at work place with necessary equipment and facilities. It also requires that employers grant all breast feeding female employees break intervals in addition to regular times off for meals to breastfeed or express breast milk.
World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend that children start breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be six months of life.
One response
Good one. besides reducing death, increased immunity among children, we as well will promote a strong and healthy future generation by setting a good foundation of health to new borns. Not to forget stess management among lactating mother as sometimes we are always worried on how to maintain the breastfeeding cycle, whether to express or not, if so where and how to store the milk in the office etc. With breastfeeding centres available i think there will be relief and both mum and child will have close bond and good health hence encourage long breastfeeding period even after six months alongside other factors .