Health official in South Sudan have urged mothers to cease the use of breastmilk substitutes citing that it is not nutritious.
The officials statement followed the commemorate of World Breastfeeding week which started on the 1st of August and to end on 7th.
The World Breastfeeding Week is organized and celebrated every year to protect, promote, support and encourage breastfeeding mothers everywhere across the globe.
According to health officials, young women prefers to feed their children with substitutes rather breastmilk.
Addressing Journalists on Tuesday in Juba, Rita Juan Demetry Senior Nutrition Inspector in the Ministry of Health urged mothers to adhere to breastmilk for their children.
He discouraged business people from extra advertisement that influence young women to buy substitute for their children.
“To those selling this breast milk substitute, the ministry of health is saying do not advertise. We just need to give our children breast milk from zero to six months” she said
“If you have that breast milk substitute because still, we don’t have that code, you sell it but do not advertise” she added
She warned the traders that the Ministry has advise business people to cease advertising the product.
In her part, Khamisa Ayoub Miluwa who is the Director General for Nutrition also discouraged people from usingpromotional languages about breast milk substitutes to the breastfeeding mothers.
“We cannot say sell it; this is really very wrong. We know some conditions also needs this thing but, from the ministry of health and the partners, the only problem that can prevent the child from breastfeeding is when the mother is suffering from Ebola” she said
The World health organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)emphasized maintaining breastfeeding and promoting breastfeeding wherever it was declining.
It was recommended for all mothers to continue breastfeeding for up to six months and continue breastfeeding and introduce some solid food items later. It also encourages breastfeeding until the mother and the baby desire it.
