Dr Samuel Kwabena Boakye-Boateng, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), says exclusive breastfeeding for six months form the foundation of child health and development.

He said breast milk provided infants with the best start in life, as it was universally recognised as the ideal food for infants which offered a perfect blend of the essential nutrients, antibodies, and growth factors vital for the development of a healthy child.

Dr Boakye-Boateng was speaking at this year’s World Breastfeeding week celebration in Bolgatanga on the theme: “Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.”

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually from August 1 to August 7 to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
The celebration, which saw health officials holding placards with various inscriptions including “Breastfeeding rocks:

Let’s celebrate healthy babies”, “Breast milk tailored nutrition for little tummies,” among others went on a float on the principal streets of Bolgatanga and was supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Dr Boakye-Boateng, holding a placard with inscription: “Give only breast milk for the first six months of life for good health, strength and intelligence,” led the float to create awareness among members of the public on the importance of breastfeeding.

The Regional Director said the theme for the celebration was a clarion call on all stakeholders to focus on inclusivity and equity in breastfeeding support, “We must ensure that support reaches all mothers, regardless of their socio-economic status, their geographical location or their education level.”

He said early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hours of birth was important for both the mother and child, and indicated that first breast milk contained colostrum, which was highly nutritious with antibodies that protected newborns from infection.

“Early initiation of breastfeeding also encourages bonding between the mother and her newborn, especially through skin-to-skin contact, which facilitates the production of breast milk,” Dr Boakye-Boateng added.

Per the Service Performance Indicators in the Region, the Director said early initiation of breastfeeding showed remarkable consistency with rates of 94.57 per cent in 2023, 93.41 in 2022 and 93.39 per cent in 2021.

He said the positive trend continued with a significant increase to 96.82 per cent from January to June 2024, adding that it was important for stakeholders to commit themselves to promote breastfeeding and ensure every child received the best possible start in life.

To achieve this, Dr Boakye-Boateng emphasized that it was important for stakeholders to recognize the gaps that still existed and hindered breastfeeding, including the lack of support for mothers, misinformation, and some socio-economic pressures.

“Our task, therefore, as health workers, stakeholders and the entire community is to bridge these gaps by ensuring that every mother has access to the right information, the much-needed resources, and the maximum support she needs to breastfeed her child effectively,” the Director said.

Alhaji Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf, said the theme for the celebration resonated with government policies on child and maternal health as it highlighted the essential need for inclusive and comprehensive support systems for breastfeeding mothers worldwide.

He said some legislative work was done to implement infant and maternal protection laws to create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and ensure access to lactation support services in the country.