The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) on Wednesday commissioned the newly refurbished staff Creche at the Kanifing General Hospital.
The refurbished Creche is designed to enable working mothers to breastfeed their babies, while at the same time fulfilling their duties at the hospital thus ensuring six-month exclusive breastfeeding.
The commissioning of this new Creche was held in commemoration of the World Breastfeeding Week 2025; a week-long celebration observed from the 1st to the 7thAugust.
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This year's event was held on theme - "Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems"; which focuses on environment and climate change while highlighting the need in supporting breastfeeding initiatives to create sustainable environment.
At the event, Nafisa Binte Shafique, UNICEF representative in The Gambia, outlined that breastfeeding must be supported at home, communities and in work places.
She emphasised that breastfeeding is not just a mother's choice, but a child's first right, making reference to a world-leading general medical journal - Lancet's 2016 breastfeeding series found out that not breastfeeding is associated with lower intelligence and global economic losses of $302 billion each year.
The UNICE Country rep maintained that in The Gambia, every mother breastfeeds yet, only 54% of children under six months are exclusively breastfed; while 35% of new-borns are put to the breast within the first hours of birth.
She spoke of UNICEF's continuous support to Infant and Young Child Feeding interventions, anchored in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFH) and Baby-Friendly Community Initiative (BFCH), being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the NaNA.
Abdul Aziz Ceesay, Director, Social and Behavioural Change Communication Directorate at the National Nutrition Agency, said the objectives of this year's Breastfeeding Week is to inform people about their role in creating supportive and sustainable environments for breastfeeding.
Basirou Drammeh, Chief Executive Officer at the Kanifing General hospital, underscored the importance of breastmilk in child's first six-months, acknowledging that breastmilk is nutrition that is perfectly suited to an infant's needs.
He said it also boosts the immune system, supports healthy growth and development and strengthens the special bond between mother and child.
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Binta-Janneh-Jallow, deputy mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) revealed that the Council has been a strong advocate for health-related matters.
She disclosed that through the Council's women's initiative fund, they provide financial and social support to empower women across the municipality.
