The Taraba State Government has renewed its commitment to improving maternal and child health with the official flag-off of the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week campaign in Jalingo.
The celebration, observed under the theme "Breastfeeding: A Sustainable Start in Life," focused on increasing awareness of the life-saving benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and strengthening support for mothers to give every child the best possible start in life.
He said the state government would continue to strengthen policies and programmes that encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies during the first six months of life, in line with national and global recommendations.
Chairman of the Taraba State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr. Danjuma Saigudu, said the committee would sustain collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies, alongside development partners, to improve food and nutrition across the state.
He noted that the committee serves as a multi-sectoral platform committed to implementing nutrition interventions that will improve the health and well-being of women and children in Taraba State.
Representing the World Health Organization, Mr. Martins Jirgi said breastfeeding remains the first and most important gift a mother can give her child.
He explained that the first breast milk, known as colostrum, provides newborns with antibodies that strengthen their immune system, protect them against childhood infections and supply the essential nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.
He reaffirmed UNICEF's continued support for breastfeeding promotion and routine immunisation programmes while urging stakeholders to work together to ensure that every child benefits from quality nutrition and life-saving health services.
Also speaking, the representative of Helen Keller International, Mr. Sambo Yakubu, stressed the need for sustained community awareness on infant and young child feeding practices, noting that proper nutrition during the early stages of life remains critical to a child's physical and mental development.
Flagging off the celebration, the Director of Jalingo Local Government Primary Health Care, Mrs. Mairo Solomon, described breastfeeding as a child's first immunisation.
She explained that colostrum provides newborns with natural antibodies that protect them against diseases while supplying the nutrients required for healthy growth and development. Mrs. Solomon urged mothers to adhere to the recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding, describing the practice as an investment in the future of every child.
She commended the Taraba State Government, development partners and healthcare workers for their continued commitment to improving maternal and child healthcare before officially declaring the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week celebration open.
Some nursing mothers and community members who participated in the sensitisation expressed appreciation to the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency and its development partners for bringing the awareness campaign to their community.
They described the programme as enlightening and impactful, saying it had improved their understanding of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, proper infant nutrition and routine immunisation. The beneficiaries also pledged to strictly adhere to the health guidelines shared during the sensitisation and promised to encourage other mothers to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for the healthy growth and development of their children.
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