National Breastfeeding Rate is 20 Percent

Statistics from associations in support for exclusive breastfeeding in Cameroon indicate that the rate of breastfeeding in the country is low. According to the association's President, James Achanyi Fontem, just 20 per cent of women exclusively breastfeed their children for six months.

"We did a lot of efforts and the percentage went up to 24 but later dropped", James Achanyi stressed, while adding that women have been a little bit more resistant to feeding their new-born babies only with breast milk for six months. It is within this backdrop that the Minister of Public Health, André Mama Fouda has set aside this week as the breastfeeding week in the country to sensitise and educate the population on the importance of breast milk. The launching of the Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon last Friday August 24, comes two weeks after the international day for the event because the Minister of Public Health wanted all stakeholders in the sector to give the importance the week requires especially as infant mortality keeps increasing in the country.

Holding on the theme "Understanding the Past, Planning for the Future" Minister André Mama Fouda speaking during the event at the Biyem-Assi District Hospital in Yaounde, in the presence of the Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family and other dignitaries said all women should exclusively give breast milk to their children as it is only by applying this that they can ameliorate the health of children in Cameroon.

The health boss lamented over the fact that women start giving breast milk to their children and at one point abandons it for artificial milk and water. This, according to Mama Fouda, creates health problems to the kids and other complications, for breast milk contains the ingredients that develop the brain of babies as well as keeping them healthy. Stakeholders in the breastfeeding sector are using the occasion to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the WHO/UNICEF's Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child feeding. Thus, it is time to evaluate what has been done, what has not been done and plan for the future