By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Sept. 2, GNA – Dr Amma Benin, the Head of the Paediatric Department, International Maritime Hospital (IMAH), has urged families and relatives of new-born mothers to support them to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of life.
She said most mothers had revealed that they were willing to breastfeed exclusively but pressures from family members, especially in-laws made it difficult to do so.
Dr Benin stated at the 16th edition of the Monthly Stakeholders Engagement and Workers’ appreciation day seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency.
The event was aimed at providing a platform for both state and non-state organizations to address national issues to enhance development.
Speaking on the topic: “Addressing the health needs of children, adolescents, and women, a sure way to build a healthy society,” Dr Benin said exclusive breastfeeding and child immunization were major public health initiatives that significantly reduced childhood morbidity and mortality and improved child survival.
“Exclusive breastfeeding is central to survival, health, and well-being of children and the nation at large,” she said.
She outlined some of the health benefits of breastfeeding for babies as the provision of ideal nutrition to support the baby’s growth and development.
Dr Benin said breastmilk also known as ‘white gold’ was dynamic and changes in nature and constituents to meet the nutritional needs of the growing baby, adding that it also contained antibodies from the mother that protects the baby against common infections in the environment.
Breastmilk, she noted, was readily available, always at the right temperature, had no need to reheat, easily digested, and came at no added cost to the family.
Dr Benin said studies had shown that breastfeeding caused a release of a hormone that aided in good parenting in the mother.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager, urged health practitioners to open their doors to the media for total health education, adding “the media can help reduce incidents of illness through progressive health reportage.”
He said the public needed information on healthy practices and ways to avoid harmful lifestyles, “the media is, therefore, rightful medium to use to reach out to the public, and since the health field is a specialized area, we need constant empowerment to understand the medical jargons to disseminate truthfully”.
Other speakers included: Dr Joseph Swanzy, a General Medical Practitioner at IMAH, who spoke on adolescent health issues and how to address them; Mr Kenneth Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Delax Finance, who spoke on “navigating through the current economic crisis with or without the International Monetary Fund”.
Mr Richard A. Quayson, Deputy Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) spoke on the topic: “Public Service Integrity in the fight against corruption”.
GNA