The vice president and minister of Women Affairs has spoken about the enormous importance of exclusive breastfeeding, saying the practice can boost mothers' immune system. She also noted that the practice further saves the mother the money, energy and time, delays new pregnancy and protect her from breast and ovarian cancers.

Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy was speaking Wednesday morning at State House while delivering a statement as part of the commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week which centered on the theme; "Breastfeeding support; close to mother support".

The vice president said many mothers find that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is simple provided that the enabling environment and support needed is provided.

"Unfortunately, in many countries, exclusive breastfeeding rates are low. In The Gambia, according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010, 33 percent of the mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of their baby's life," she stated.

The VP went on to indicate there is ample evidence demonstrating that breast milk alone can provide all that a baby normally needs for the first six months of life during which no extra drinks or feeds are needed during this period. While it is also proven that mothers' breast milk foster optimal growth and development of the baby's brain and immune system, the VP said it is a vital factor in preventing common illness such diarrhea and infections of the respiratory and urinary tracks

Commenting on the theme of this year's commemoration, VP Njie-Saidy underscored that it aims at drawing attention to the importance of peer support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding, to inform people of the highly effective benefits of peer counseling and unite efforts to expand peer counseling programmes. The theme, she went on, also seeks to encourage breastfeeding supporters regardless of their educational background to step forward and be trained to support mothers and babies.

She therefore stressed the need for more support to lactating mothers, saying continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways.

"Traditionally, support is provided by the family. However, as societies change, in particular with urbanisation, support for mothers from a wide circle is needed, whether it is provided by a trained health worker, a lactation consultant, community leaders or friends who are also mothers or parents," she noted.

To this end, the VP noted that in The Gambia, the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) has established community support structures in the form of Village Support Groups, consisting of men and women to assist and support optimal infant and young child feeding practices in baby-friendly communities. She disclosed that this support structure is now operating in 691 communities across the country with plans to expand it to all the communities in future. "There is no doubt that optimal infant and young child feeding is essential for optimal growth and development, but this needs support from family, friends, community and health staff in order to be successful and sustainable. Mothers face challenges to practice optimal breastfeeding such as overcoming misinformation, maintaining breastfeeding while working outside the home, coping in emergency situations and, most importantly, overcoming doubts about her ability to breastfeed her baby," she further remarked.

Njie-Saidy also said that with the benefits associated with breast milk and breast feeding, peer counseling can play an important role in establishing a sustainable breastfeeding. she underscored that peer counseling programmes are cost-effective and a highly productive way to reach a large number of mothers more frequently. VP Njie-Saidy then thanked the government's development partners for their invaluable contribution to nutrition, saying, "we cherish the new initiative on breastfeeding by the World Food Programme which will provide children 6-23 months with nutrient dense fortified blended food during the lean season to combat weight loss and support the rapid physical growth and development of children in the URR and CRR".