Oyo State Scores 58.7 % in Exclusive Breastfeeding Practice

The Oyo State Government has scored 58.7% in the practice of Exclusive Breastfeeding by Women of Child Bearing Age, as included in the recent data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

This was made public by the Project Coordinator, Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN) ,Oyo Project Implementation Unit, Dr Khadijah Alarape during a Stakeholders meeting of State Committee on Food and Nutrition organised by ANRiN Project recently in Ibadan.

Reacting to the recent data from MICS 2022 Survey, ANRIN PC noted that the increase shows Pregnant and Lactating women are now aware of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the general well-being of their children.

The PC commended , the State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde effort of increasing the maternity leave for pregnant women from 3 months to six months and also ANRiN for implementing 7 Basic Package of Nutritional Services across the 33 LGA’s in the state. 

‘The State Governor should be thanked for his help at granting 6-months maternity leave for our mothers. This has really helped. This can be confirmed from available statistics on Nutrition indices that the State is doing well as far as Exclusive Breastfeeding is concerned. Although we need to work more on the rate of stunting in the state.’

She further called for collaboration of the SCFN members, saying it is imperative for every Line Ministries on Nutrition to have a budgetary allocation for Nutrition activities in their various MDA’s. 

The PC who reiterated ANRiN’s effort at providing cost effective Nutritional Services to Pregnant and Lactating Women, adolescent-girls as well as Children Under 5 across the state, mentioned two Non State Actors, Solina Health Ltd and Save the Children are currently working in communities across the state, giving Pregnant and Lactating Mothers as well as Children Under Five Basic Package of Nutritional Services.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of Development Partners, at the Ministry of Budget and Planning, Mr. Moruf Oyetunji stated that the meeting is a statutory meeting which is held quarterly to review Nutritional intervention and address malnutrition in the state.