08 Aug 2024

Promoting enabling environments remains critical in helping women to breastfeed.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Health, Honourable Sethomo Lelatisitswe at the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week in Mokoboxane on Wednesday.

Mr Lelatisitswe said research had shown that the first 28 days of life were the most important for child growth, hence it was essential for mothers to be supported to initiate breastfeeding as early as possible.

He encouraged mothers to breastfeed, stating that early initiation and optimal breastfeeding greatly improved the chances of survival as milk was important because it provided all the energy and nutrients required by infants in the first six months of life.

“To support and promote breast feeding, a complete mindset change is required by mothers, families, communities, health workers, civil society organisations, the private sector and other sectors,” he said.

Mr Lelatisitswe, who is also Boteti East Member of Parliament, highlighted that breast milk was also important as it contained properties that strengthened the immune system of the baby.

He further noted that continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond, coupled with appropriate home prepared complementary foods, was the most effective intervention to protect children against undernutrition.

“Research has shown that breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight or obese later in life, thereby reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases,” he said.

On another point, Mr Lelatisitswe highlighted that though sometimes in the late 90’s and early 2000, breastfeeding was hugely affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with the evolution of science and the timely initiation of ARVs, the status quo regarding breastfeeding had now changed.

“This has been evidenced by the PMTCT report which indicated an increase from 34 per cent in 2017 to 48 per cent in 2021 of HIV positive mothers on treatment, who managed to successfully breastfeed their babies,” he said.

For her part, UNICEF deputy representative, Ms Alexandra IIImer said the World Health Organisation and UNICEF emphasised the importance of initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth and exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Ms IIImer said despite the well-documented benefits, many mothers still faced challenges that prevented them from breastfeeding, such as lack of support from healthcare providers, inadequate maternity leave policies and societal stigma.

She said Botswana’s statistics also highlighted the need for increased support and awareness to enable mothers to breastfeed successfully.

“To support breast-eeding mothers, it must be ensured that they have access to trained healthcare professionals who could provide respectful and empathetic guidance throughout their breastfeeding journey,” she said.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week was held under the theme: Closing the Gap: Breast-eeding for all. Ends