Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Health, Khaliq-ur-Rehman, here on Tuesday inaugurated a month-long awareness campaign on Benefits of Breastfeeding for Child Health and Development.
The inauguration event was organized by the Provincial Nutrition Cell under the Directorate General of Health Services KP in collaboration with UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Programme (WFP) and district health authorities.
Health Secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah, the Director General Health Services, representatives from UNICEF, WHO and WFP, senior health department officials, paediatric and gynaecological experts, nutritionists, district health officers, representatives of Lady Health Worker Program, development partners and delegates from other allied organizations attended in large numbers.
Addressing the gathering, the provincial health minister said breast milk remains a child’s first, complete and natural source of nourishment/He stressed that early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, coupled with exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, is a cornerstone of child health, nutrition and survival.
He noted that World Breastfeeding Month serves as a timely reminder to reinforce effective, evidence-based interventions and ensure every mother and child has access to safe, dignified and quality nutrition. The KP government, he added, continues to place maternal and child health high on its list of priorities and is mobilizing all available resources toward this end.
During the ceremony, the minister was given a detailed briefing on key initiatives undertaken by the health department to promote breastfeeding. He was informed that the province has adopted the Pakistan Infant and Young Child Nutrition Strategy, while the capacity of various health institutions is being enhanced to strengthen enforcement of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Breastfeeding Act, 2015. Work is also underway to align the legislation with WHO recommendations, alongside efforts to reinvigorate the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative and expand the Baby-Friendly Community Initiative.
Participants were also briefed on the latest nutrition indicators for the province, including data on child malnutrition, stunting, wasting, early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding rates and progress on food security benchmarks.
The health minister directed all concerned health officials, district health officers, medical superintendents, Lady Health Workers and field staff to actively participate in the month-long campaign so that timely, accurate guidance reaches every mother. He called for hospitals, basic health units and community-level facilities to provide an enabling environment where mothers can breastfeed their children with confidence and full support.