NAFDAC to strengthen enlightenment campaign on marketing breast milk substitute

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says it will partner relevant stakeholders to strengthen enlightenment campaign on Breast Milk Substitute (BMS) Code.

The Kaduna State Coordinator of the agency, Nasiru Mato, stated this in Kaduna on Friday at a Policy Dialogue Webinar on Breastfeeding, organised to commemorate the 2021 World Breastfeeding Week.

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is an international health policy framework for breastfeeding promotion, adopted by the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization in 1981.

The webinar with the topic, “The Role of Stakeholders in Domestic Resource Mobilization for Optimal Breastfeeding and Nutrition Outcome in Kaduna State” was organised by the State Primary Health Care Development Board.

Mato explained that the code was designed to protect breastfeeding by checking unethical and aggressive marketing by manufacturers of BMS in selling their baby formulas, thereby discouraging breastfeeding practices.

He said one of the major challenges often encountered in the implementation of the BMS code in the state, was the  unethical and aggressive practices and marketing by some manufacturers.

Mato stated  that the State Government needed to provide logistic support to enable  the enlightenment reach the hinterland.

According to him, NAFDAC takes issue of infant nutrition very serious.

“In Kaduna State, NAFDAC has continued to partner tirelessly with all critical stakeholders and development partners towards actualising this feat.

“We have continued to sustain broadband regulatory activities towards ensuring the realisation of this noble objective targeted at ensuring an optimal feeding of infants and young children,” Mato said.

The coordinator stressed the need for a behaviourial and attitudinal change by all, adding that “we all own this fight for a sustainable citizenry health”.

He urged citizens to maintain the tempo for the good of the state and  the country at large.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week  is, “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility.”