THE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday urged the government to enforce the international code of marketing of breast milk substitutes, to prevent suppliers from misleading women into weaning off their children prematurely.
BY MUNESU NYAKUDYA
Speaking at the official launch of World Breastfeeding Week commemorations in Harare, WHO representative David Okello said exclusive breastfeeding was the most effective intervention to curb infant mortality.
“We appeal to the government and partners to enforce international policies and programmes that promote breastfeeding,” he said.
“These include enforcing the international code of breast milk substitutes so that breast milk companies cannot mislead women.”
Okello also encouraged the government to strengthen policy provisions that support breastfeeding in the workplace to encourage more working mothers to breastfeed their babies.
Speaking at the same event, Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa underscored the need to enact new policies that assist women to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months.
“. . . this includes enacting maternity leave policies that assist women to breastfeed for the first six months of life,” he said.
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“As a nation, we are not there yet, but we are working towards it.”
Parirenyatwa said health workers should provide support for mothers with breastfeeding difficulties so that they are able to breastfeed successfully.
“Fathers, grandparents and other family members need to support breastfeeding women by lightening their workload so they have ample time to breastfeed,” he said.
“Workplaces, whether formal or informal, should create environments that allow time for women to breastfeed their babies or to express and store breast milk to be fed to their babies while they are away.
“Examples are family-friendly workplace initiatives and crèches at or nearby the workplace.”
