Aga Khan promotes breastfeeding via social network

Dar es Salaam. Children aged below two years face the risk of developing nutrition-related illnesses if breastfeeding is not properly practised, an expert said on Wednesday.

The expert at the Aga Khan Hospital (AKH), Dr Mariam Noorani, said in the city that most women in Tanzania were not aware of the importance of breastfeeding their babies.

The practice if done properly, accordign to her, can protect children from malnutrition and other chronic diseases such as diabetes.

In efforts to counter the problem, AKH has launched a WhatsApp group, dubbed, “Breastfeeding Support Group” to help mothers learn best practices on how to provide breast milk to their infants.

During the launch of the group, interactive videos with demonstrations on breastfeeding were played in the waiting area of the Ante-Natal clinic at AKH in Dar es Salaam.

Fifty expectant and new mothers are expected to join the group, where an educator would offer tips on breastfeeding. By yesterday, 35 women had joined.

One of them, Ms Pamela Seleman, 35, a resident of Dar es Salaam was optimistic that the initiative would provide key information.

“I’m looking forward to sharing knowledge with my fellow friends in the group,” she said.

However, according to Dr Noorani, there is still need for the country to have more experts who can explain to women on how to breast-feed their children appropriately.

She made the statement when she addressed the women who attended the launching ceremony of the group at AKH in Dar es Salaam.

She said, “There should also be a legal framework that will help limit the use of artificial powder milk,” she said.

Dr Noorani called upon new mothers in the country to adhere to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) breastfeeding guidelines to ensure that their children grow healthy.

For his part, AKH’s senior consultant Radiologist Dr Ahmed Jusabani noted that the hospital through Aga Khan University will embark on producing enough breastfeeding experts to meet the emerging demand in the country.

He stated: “The shortage of experts in the field can be resolved through efforts by the government and other stakeholders.”