Malawi joined the rest of the world in commencing the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week on Monday, August 1, 2016.
The event, held under the theme “breast feeding: a key to sustainable development,” took place at a school ground in the central district of Ntchisi. Addressing attendees, Minister of Health Dr. Peter Kumpalume emphasized the importance of giving a newborn breastmilk soon after birth.
Kumpalume said it was very encouraging to see men and other members of the community supporting women to exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months before weaning them, saying, “This provides morale to the women, they feel appreciated and loved.”
“We all must have had breastmilk sometime in our life, that is why we are where we are today. It goes without saying, therefore, that breast milk is very nutritious and hygienic … very essential for a newborn baby,” said Dr. Kumpalume.
Kumpalume said breastfeeding goes a long way in reducing under-5 deaths as well as stunting and has to be encouraged everywhere.
Speaking about the results of encouraging women to breastfeed, the principal secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Magwira, said, “Though there is still a lot to be done, we can say that we are now at 37 percent as far as stunting in children is concerned. We should work extra hard to get to less than 10 percent.” Magwira added that breastmilk is very good for brain development and very cheap.
The event was jointly supported by UNICEF, World Vision, PATH, Save the Children, and the World Bank, among others. Malawi has been commemorating World Breastfeeding Week since 1992.