Ghana today joins the rest of the world to celebrate the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness and galvanise support for effective breastfeeding.

The global campaign, which is observed from August 1st to 7th is coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).

This year’s celebration is on the theme: “Step up for Breastfeeding – Educate and Support,” and focuses on enhancing the capability of those who must safeguard, support, and promote breastfeeding at all societal levels.

A press statement signed by Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said nursing offers unsurpassed health advantages for moms and newborns.

It said breastmilk was specially formulated to satisfy the developing and medical needs of children, making nursing the gold standard for newborn and child nutrition.

Breastfeeding also serves as a baby’s first vaccination, protecting them from a variety of common childhood ailments, the statement added.

“Breastfeeding is key to sustainable development strategies post-pandemic, as it improves nutrition, ensures food security, and reduces inequalities between and within countries.

It is a key to child survival and a developmental strategy for improvement in a country’s economic gains, which is an important issue as the country recovers from the pandemic,” it said.

It said breastfeeding mothers benefit from a warm network of support, including help with housework, call-ups, and the construction of an enabling environment from healthcare systems and staff, family, friends, neighbours, and coworkers.

“These actors make up the warm chain of support for breastfeeding. Revamping capacity of the actors in the warm chain through education and transformation of systems will ensure breastfeeding-friendly health care facilities and supportive workplaces underpinned by evidence-based national policies,” the statement said.

The statement said to improve their ability to establish and sustain breastfeeding-friendly conditions for families in the post-pandemic world, target audiences, including governments, health systems, workplaces, and communities would be informed, educated, and empowered.

“The campaign will highlight the links between breastfeeding and good nutrition, food security and reduction of inequalities,” it added.