PESHAWAR – The Nutrition Cell of the Health Department, in collaboration with UNICEF, organized a ceremony to celebrate World Breastfeeding Month in all districts of the province.
The ceremony was attended by Director Nutrition Dr. Fazal Majid, Additional Director General Dr. Shahid Younis, Dr. Basit, Dr. Ikramullah, Dr. Shaheen, UNICEF officials, and representatives of the Pakistan Pediatric Association. Director Nutrition Dr. Fazal Majid said in his address that the purpose of celebrating this month is to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for children. World Breastfeeding Month is celebrated every year in August.
Speakers at the ceremony emphasized that formula milk is not a substitute for breast milk. This year, formula milk worth Rs. 114 billion was sold in Pakistan. Only one in two children gets breast milk within the first hour of birth. Breastfeeding can save the lives of over 800,000 children under the age of five worldwide, 87% of whom are under six months old.
According to the speakers, the mortality rate from diarrhea after two months of birth is 25% higher in children who drink bottle milk compared to those who drink breast milk. Excessive use of formula milk is causing various diseases in children, including allergies, skin diseases, ear pain, and respiratory diseases. “Breastfeeding can control 88% of deaths from infections in children under three months old. Similarly, breastfeeding can reduce the incidence of diarrhea in children by 54%,” the speakers stressed. The speakers also mentioned that cow’s and goat’s milk are not healthy for children at all.
