Some stakeholders working in the health sector are calling on government to urgently ensure that the current maternity leave period women enjoy is increased to appreciable level to commensurate with the 14 weeks period recommended by International Labour Organization (ILO).
This according to them will help remove the barriers to breastfeeding thereby guaranteeing every nursing mother the ability to practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
The call was made in Accra on Monday during a briefing session for the media in commemoration of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Day, scheduled for 1st to 5th August, 2016 on the theme:“Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development”.
Addressing the media at the forum, Ms. Eunice Sackey, National Coordinator, Baby Friendly Hospital Institute appealed to government to consider and help increase the maternity leave period from 3 months to appreciable limit.
“We are strongly appealing to government to see to the increment of 3 months maternity leave period to appreciable limit so that our nursing mothers can have their babies exclusively breastfed to derive the benefits from breastfeeding”.
Ms. Sackey stressed, “We don’t think it’ll be too much even if it is 6 months increment because ILO is recommending it and besides the benefits are enormous for our children to grow well and even when it’s done you’ll realize that women will stop asking for excuse from duty simply because their children are sick which they’ll find all means possible to do if they are not permitted.”
On his part, Dr. Victor Ngongalah, UNICEF Chief of Health and Nutrition charged the media to help educate the public especially women on the importance of breastfeeding and how it is conducted.
Dr. Ngongalah pledged his outfit’s continuous support towards government’s efforts in supporting and protecting breastfeeding at all times.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Day will be marked with a durbar at the Jackson Park in Koforidua, Eastern Region on August 2, 2016 where Mavis Frimpong Eastern Regional Minister is expected to deliver a keynote address.
By Joseph Kobla Wemakor | 3news.com | Ghana