Breastfeeding is the key to all forms of development – at individual, household and community levels, social and economic levels, national development and productivity says Jone Usamate.

While addressing the Lovu HART Community in Lautoka on Friday, the Minister for Health,  said breastfeeding is the biological norm. He said this at national launching of National Nutrition Month and Breastfeeding Week

“It is important to raise awareness and reinforce positive social changes in the community, where a woman has the right to breastfeed her child and give her child the best start in life,” he said.

“Change does not happen overnight, but with the involvement of more men and fathers to raise awareness among family and friends will be a good start.”

For mothers who do not breastfeed, Mr Usamate said there are high risks of developing diabetes, obesity, breast, uterine and ovarian cancers, osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.

So in order to avoid all these problems, he urged the mothers to breastfeed their babies.

The Minister also said the results of the latest National Nutrition Survey 2015 indicated that there has been an improvement in an exclusive breastfeeding rate in Fiji from 40 per cent in 2004 to 53 per cent in 2015.

“I congratulate the efforts of our health workers in advocating for exclusive breastfeeding from birth to 6 months, and continue to educate our communities in Fiji,” he said.

“The median duration of breastfeeding has also improved from seven months in 2004, to nine months in 2015.”

He said 89 per cent of our women continue to breastfeed into two years and beyond, while giving nutritious complementary foods to their babies.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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