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UNICEF, Niger Govt. Mobilise 1800 Women To Promote Breastfeeding—-The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Niger Ministry for Primary Healthcare has mobilised 1,800 women to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the state.

Gerida Birukila, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, said that mobilising that number of women was an attempt to break the world record for highest number of lactating women breastfeeding simultaneously.

Birukila spoke at a programme in Minna to mark the 2024 World Breastfeeding Week.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for 2024 breastfeeding week is : “Closing the Gap, Break the Record, Break Barriers: Breastfeeding Support for All”.

Commemorated  from Aug. 1 to Aug.7 annually, world breastfeeding week raises awareness on the importance of breastfeeding and providing support to mothers.

Birukila, who was represented by Mrs Grace Odeyemi, UNICEF Consultant in Niger, said the event was to create awareness and dismantle stigma surrounding breastfeeding.

“We are challenging harmful norms and practices, such as the introduction of water and other pre-lacteal feeds for babies in the first six months.

“We are here to empower mothers with the knowledge and support to make the best choices for their children’s health including approval for extended paid six months maternity leave,” she said.

She added that the effort was to achieve the World Health Assembly’s target for exclusive breastfeeding and go beyond 50 per cent target.

In her address, Hajiya Fatima Bago, Wife of Niger Governor, advocated for implementation of policies that would help breastfeeding mothers balance their need and daily responsibilities.

Bago, represented by Hajiya Jummai Abubakar, Wife of Niger SSG,  donated 100 bags of rice to the first batch of 100 women to support them and their families.

Also, Dr Bello Turku, Commissioner for Secondary and Tertiary Health, said the event was to showcase the need to improve support to mothers to practice optimal breastfeeding.

He urged mothers to breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months of life for improved child’s nutrition.

One of the mothers, Malama Saratu Usman, pledged to educate other mothers in her community on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.

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Health & Wellbeing

JUST IN: Federal Government Declares Free Cesarean Sections For All Nigerian Pregnant Women

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Cesarean Sections

JUST IN: Federal Government Declares Free Cesarean Sections For All Nigerian Pregnant Women—-The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announces free Cesarean sections (CS) for all Nigerian women.

Thecloudngr reports that on Day 2 of the Joint Annual Review (JAR) conference, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. @muhammadpate, announced that Cesarean sections will be offered free to all Nigerian women in need, as part of the new Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII) project.

Nigeria faces significant health challenges, with maternal mortality and neonatal mortality rates at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births and 41 deaths per 1,000, respectively, along with a low uptake of essential health services.

MAMII aims to address Nigeria’s high maternal and neonatal mortality rates by improving access to quality healthcare, enhancing primary health care (PHC) services, and increasing community engagement.

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Lassa Fever Cases On The Rise As Nigeria Enters 41st Week of 2024

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Lassa Fever

Lassa Fever Cases On The Rise As Nigeria Enters 41st Week of 2024—-The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a concerning increase in Lassa fever cases as Nigeria navigates epidemiological week 41 of 2024.

In week 41, there were 10 new confirmed cases reported, compared to just seven in the previous week.

The NCDC said this in its latest Lassa Fever Situation Report, published on its official website.

The Public Health agency said that the new cases had been recorded across Ondo, Edo, Benue, and Taraba states, highlighting a worrying trend as the nation grapples with the virus.

Cumulatively, the agency said that there had been 174 reported deaths this year, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 16.8 per cent.

It said that this was slightly lower than the 17.2 per cent CFR reported during the same period in 2023.

“The total number of confirmed cases has now risen to 8,569 across 28 states and 129 local government areas.

“Notably, 68 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases in 2024 have originated from three states: Ondo 28 per cent, Edo 23 per cent and Bauchi 17 per cent.

“The predominant age group affected is between 31 to 40 years, and there is an equal gender distribution among confirmed cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.,” it said.

The NCDC, however, said that no new healthcare workers were reported to be affected during week 41, reflecting ongoing efforts to safeguard medical personnel amidst the outbreak.

It said that the National Lassa Fever Multi-Partner, Multi-Sectoral Technical Working Group continued to coordinate response activities, focusing on robust contact tracing and community engagement.

According to the NCDC, the challenges remain, including inadequate funding for preparedness activities and poor health-seeking behaviour in affected communities due to the high costs associated with treatment.

It said that environmental sanitation conditions in high-burden areas also required urgent attention to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“Efforts are underway to improve public awareness and readiness through various initiatives, including risk communication strategies, training sessions for healthcare providers, and ongoing community engagement campaigns,” it said.

As the outbreak continues, stakeholders underlined the importance of timely reporting and seeking medical care to reduce the impact of Lassa fever across the nation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Lassa fever has been identified by the World Health Organisation as a pathogen with high potential for severe outbreaks.

It poses a growing threat as climate change puts an estimated 700 million people at risk.

Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle pain, and in severe cases, facial swelling and bleeding. Survivors often suffer from long-term complications such as deafness.

As Nigeria battles the Lassa fever outbreak, public health experts said that concerted efforts are required from both the government and the general public to avert further loss of lives.

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