Kumasi, 12 Dec 1998 The Ashanti Regional Health Directorate has inaugurated Mother Support Groups made up of trained counsellors to encourage breasts feeding. The inauguration climaxed a breast feeding awareness week financed by Guinness Ghana Limited with a donation of 10 million cedis.

Dr. Mercy Essel-Ahun, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, said Mother Support Groups would stress the importance of breast-feeding for the first six months of babies.

"Whether mothers breast feed successfully or not depends partly on other people in the community".

In the communities, therefore, it is important to promote breasts feeding and ensure that people understand how valuable it is for particularly babies.

Dr. Essel-Ahun said members of the Support Groups meet regularly at the premises of private midwives to discuss breasts feeding and share ideas with new mothers.

She urged Mothers Support Groups at Duase, Sepe-Timpom, Sepe-Buokrom, Aboabo, and Sawaba, to form satellite groups to promote breasts feeding.