The agency officially launched National Breastfeeding Week 2024 with a press briefing in Accra. The event, themed “Closing the Gap: Supporting Breastfeeding for All”, calls for collective support from all stakeholders to ensure a healthier future for children in Ghana.
The theme aims to educate stakeholders about their vital roles in supporting breastfeeding, highlight its universal importance and engage individuals and organizations in supporting support for mothers and babies.
In his speech to the media, Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofosu, Deputy Director General of GHS, urged mothers to embrace early breastfeeding, describing breast milk as a “superfood” essential for the first six months of a child’s life. He highlighted its benefits, including infant brain development, protection against infection and reducing the risk of cancer in women.
According to the recent Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, there has been remarkable progress in breastfeeding practices. Early initiation of breastfeeding has increased from 52% to 58%, and rates of exclusive breastfeeding have increased from 52% to 53.1%. However, Dr. Ofosu stressed the need to surpass 70% on both indicators.
He acknowledged the tireless efforts of development partners and key stakeholders to highlight the importance of breastfeeding every year, highlighting the potential losses as more children do not breastfeed.
Dr Marion Okoh-Owusu, Director of the Department of Family Health, discussed plans to deepen breastfeeding awareness this year. These plans include extensive stakeholder engagement to advocate for the creation of breastfeeding spaces, supporting the ‘Start Right, Feed Right, birth to two’ campaign. She encouraged organizations to create safe spaces for breastfeeding mothers, customers and employees within their facilities, stressing that collective efforts will normalize breastfeeding in a rapidly changing world where many women shy away from this essential responsibility.
Responding to questions from the media, Dr. Okoh-Owusu assured the public that well-trained staff in various facilities across the country are working with WHO-approved guidelines to provide the best care and support to nursing mothers. He also called for continued support for capacity building.
Dr. Marion Okoh-Owusu expressed gratitude to the media for their critical role in the campaign, stressing that their support is vital to its success.
From the Public Relations Unit
