The global pandemic , COVID-19 is threatening to disrupt gains made in the provision of breast milk to infants and cutting access to health services for lactating mothers , posing a huge health risk, 263Chat has learnt.
COVID-19 is once again stealing the show as the world commemorates Breasteeding week with most hospitals in and around the country overwhelmed due to new hospitalization cases.
Cases in zimbabwe have been rising exponentially over the last few weeks and most clinics and hospitals are crippled due to shortage of personnel or medication, which has put the lives of breastfeeding mothers at risk while children are also affected and risk of facing malnutrition.
In a statement , Combined Harare Residents Association bemoaned the dilapidated state of clinics and hospitals which it said is a threat to lactating mothers.
“The commemoration comes at a time when most council clinics which provide maternal and post-natal health care services have been overwhelmed due to the mass exodus of health personnel triggered by poor working conditions.
“The situation has been further worsened by the advent of Covid 19 which has seen deterioration of post-natal and maternal health care services as COVID has become a “priority” due to its devastating effects.
“Provision of quality post-natal health care services is essential in protecting breast feeding as breastfeeding is one of the effective ways to ensure child growth, health and survival,” CHRA said.
A joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said COVID-19 has affected the gains that had been made in the provision of breastfeeding for children.
“While there has been progress in breastfeeding rates in the last four decades – with a 50 per cent increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding globally – the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the fragility of those gains.
In many countries, the pandemic has caused significant disruptions in breastfeeding support services, while increasing the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. Several countries have reported that producers of baby foods have compounded these risks by invoking unfounded fears that breastfeeding can transmit COVID-19 and marketing their products as a safer alternative to breastfeeding,” the statement reads.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week, under its theme ‘Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility’
CHRA stated that lactating mothers, employers and CSOs must take the breast-feeding agenda more seriously especially after the disruption of breastfeeding by the advent of COVID 19.
“Employers must improve working conditions for women by providing spaces and times at the workplace for women to breastfeed their children.
“We concur with the government Devolution and Decentralization Policy that “devolved mandates on Local Authorities which are unaccompanied by adequate financial capacities would overwhelm Local Authorities’ limited resources and ultimately lead to poor service delivery outcomes,” the statement further reads.
Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond offer a powerful line of defence against all forms of child malnutrition, including wasting and obesity.
Breastfeeding also acts as babies’ first vaccine, protecting them against many common childhood illnesses
