This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On World Breastfeeding Week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Unicef have called on governments to protect and promote women's access to skilled breastfeeding counselling. This comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant level of apathy towards hospital visits, with many people staying away from health facilities due to fear of exposure.
With Kenya reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases daily, breastfeeding mothers are increasingly seeking advice from lay opinion leaders, such as mothers-in-law, peer mothers, and husbands. However, these community 'experts' often do not advocate for WHO-recommended practices, instead promoting cultural practices that lead to unnecessary cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.
Studies have shown that when a father supports the exclusive breastfeeding of their baby, a mother is more likely to initiate and sustain breastfeeding for the recommended six months. This is attributed to the authority held by men at the household level in many communities.
As COVID-19 overwhelms healthcare systems, there is a need to involve men, especially husbands and fathers, as breastfeeding advocates to ensure that babies growing up during this pandemic continue to receive life-saving milk for the recommended duration.
Men can play a critical role in providing moral and physical support to breastfeeding mothers, including creating a peaceful environment for optimal breast milk production, feeding the baby with breast milk from a bottle, and preparing balanced diet meals to ensure the mother gets all the nutrients she requires.
As the world marks World Breastfeeding Week, it is essential for breastfeeding advocates to scale up their efforts to reach out to spouses/partners with messages on their role as partners in breastfeeding, ensuring that mothers have all the support they require to initiate and sustain breastfeeding for the recommended six months.
Dr. Kalangi Kiambati, a Communications lecturer and trainer at Kenyatta University, emphasizes the importance of involving men in breastfeeding support.
