ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan on Wednesday urged for promotion of breastfeeding practices in the country to protect children from various medical complications.

“Breastfeeding is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children and a proven lifesaving strategy that helps protest children against many childhood illnesses, ” Dr Faisal said while addressing the participants of an awareness walk on breastfeeding.

He said that it was well established that breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, were less likely to be obese or overweight, and were less prone to non-communicable diseases later in life. He said that there was no alternative to promoting breastfeeding to build a healthy nation.

He said that the government has taken all necessary initiatives to observe the breastfeeding week across the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic to renew the commitment of the health authorities in promoting breastfeeding as a fundamental right of all mothers and children.

He stressed that infants must be given first breast milk as it makes their body’s immune and resistance systems strong, which help protect them from various diseases, he added. He said that the breastfeeding week takes place at a time when the experts are calling for vaccinating pregnant and breastfeeding women on a priority basis.

He said that Covid-19 causes low oxygen saturation in pregnant women, which causes the mothers and unborn infants to die. Hence, vaccination is the only reliable means of protection, he added.

He said that counselling could empower women to overcome challenges and prevent feeding and care practices that may interfere with optimal breastfeeding, such as the provision of unnecessary liquids, foods, and breast milk substitutes to infants and young children.

He said that improving access to skilled counselling for breastfeeding could extend the duration of breastfeeding and promote exclusive breastfeeding, with benefits for babies, families and economies.

He added skilled breastfeeding counselling could be provided by different actors including health care professionals in a variety of settings– in health facilities or clinics, through home visits or community programmes, in person or remotely.

He said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was even more important to find innovative solutions to ensure that access to these essential services was not disrupted and that families continue to receive the breastfeeding counselling they need.