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BSS-41
WEEK-BREASTFEEDING-TOMORROW
Breastfeeding Week begins tomorrow
DHAKA, July 31, 2019 (BSS) – The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)-2019 will
be observed across the country as elsewhere in the world from tomorrow to
create awareness of the beneficial aspects of breastfeeding.
The theme of this year is ‘Empower parents, enable breastfeeding: Now and
for the future’.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate
messages, today wished all successes of the week and hoped that the
initiative would help build a healthy and intelligent nation.
They said there is no alternative to breastfeeding for the normal growth
of children as it contains essential nutrition for the infants which increase
their resistance power.
The president said the government would focus on the development of mother
and infant health in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030.
“In this case, it is very important to inform the public about the
benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage mothers to breastfeed their new
born babies,” he said.
He said the government has provided maternity leave with six months’ salary
to ensure safe breastfeeding of the baby.
The participation of women in various professions in Bangladesh has
increased tremendously, he said.
He urged all the government and non-governmental organisations to work
together to protect the rights of mothers and children in the workplace.
The Prime Minister said the government is working relentlessly to increase
the habit of breastfeeding and reach healthcare services for mothers and
children to the doorsteps through community clinics and upazila health
complexes.
The ruling Awami League government is working to increase the breastfeeding
rate of children and improve maternal and child nutrition, she added.
As a result, the breastfeeding rate within 1 hour and 6 months has improved
to 69 percent (pc) and 65 pc respectively, she said.
She said various measures are being implemented to ensure health care,
including maternal and child nutrition under HPNSP and the second National
Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN2).
The government has also enacted Baby Food (Marketing Control) Act, 2013 and
it’s Rules-2017 to control the substitutes of baby food, she added.
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