Gov't urged to increase maternity leave period for women

Some stakeholders working in the health sector of the country are advocating strongly calling on to government urgently stem in and ensure that the current maternity leave period women enjoy is increased to appreciable level to commensurate with the 14 weeks period recommended by International Labour Organization (ILO).

This according to them will help remove the barriers to breastfeeding thereby guaranteeing every nursing mother practice exclusive breast feeding for six month and later continue for two years or longer as recommended by the World Health Organization(WHO).

The call has been made in Accra on Monday, July 25, 2016 at the World breastfeeding day briefing session for the media in commemoration of the 2016 World Breastfeeding Day, scheduled for 1st to 5th August 2016 on the theme: “Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development”.

Addressing the media at the forum, Ms. Eunice Sackey, National Coordinator, Baby Friendly Hospital Institute appealed to government to consider and help increase the maternity leave period from 3 months to appreciable limit not less or above the 6 months period specified by the ILO worldwide.

“We are strongly appealing to gov’t to see to the increment of 3 months maternity leave period to appreciable limit so that our nursing mothers can have their babies exclusively breastfeed to derive the benefits from breastfeeding”.

“We don’t think it’ll be too much even if it is 6 months increment because ILO is recommending it and besides the benefits are enormous for our children to grow well and even when it’s done you’ll realize that women will stop asking for excuse duty to be absent from work simply because their children are sick which they’ll find all means possible to do if they are not permitted” Ms. Sackey stressed.

For his part, Dr. Victor Ngongalah, UNICEF Chief of Health and Nutrition charged the media to propagate help propagate the message and educate the public especially women on the importance of breastfeeding and how it is conducted.

He called on the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to ensure the law is vigorously enforced to the latter and educate their staff not to fall into temptation of breast milk substitute companies to protect breastfeeding in Ghana. Dr. Ngongalah pledges his outfit’s continuous support towards government’s efforts in supporting and protecting breastfeeding at all times.

This year’s celebration will be marked with a durbar at the Jackson Park at Koforidua the Eastern Region on August 2, 2016 where Hon. Mavis Frimpong Eastern Regional Minister is expected to deliver a keynote address on the theme: “Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development” to climax the weeklong celebration with all the importance it deserves.