Brac Health Program (BHP) has launched a month-long celebration throughout August, focusing on raising awareness in communities and workplaces to promote breastfeeding to mark this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.
This year's theme is “Enabling Breastfeeding - Making a Difference for Working Parents,” reads a press release.
A breastfeeding celebration program aimed at encouraging support for the environment and promoting breastfeeding among working parents was held on Sunday. BHP hosted a special factory visit at Zaber and Zubair Fabrics Limited in Tongi, Gazipur, under the Mothers@Work project, supported by Unicef.
The program was attended by government stakeholders, including the National Nutrition Services (NNS) Line Director Professor Dr Mijanur Rahman.
One of the highlights of the visit was a quiz competition organized for working mothers, addressing various breastfeeding-related issues. This interactive session not only provided valuable information to the mothers but also offered them an opportunity to win exciting prizes. The event served as a platform for discussion and education, fostering a deeper understanding of the significance of breastfeeding for both maternal and child health.
Representatives from the organizations shared their insightful views and words of appreciation, emphasizing the importance of Brac's work and the positive impact on the lives of working mothers.
Professor Dr Mijanur Rahman said: "It is heartening to witness organizations like Brac Health Program and Unicef taking substantial steps to advocate for important aspects of breastfeeding to develop a healthy workforce and a healthier generation for the future. Such initiatives are fueling our goals of promoting optimal maternal and child nutrition. It demonstrates how impactful public-private partnerships can bring about meaningful changes.”
Unicef Nutrition Officer Monira Parveen said: "Every mother deserves the opportunity to give her child the best start in life and we are pleased to support the Brac Health Program in directly addressing the challenges faced by working mothers.”
BHP Program Head Dr Monowarul Aziz said: “At Brac, our dedication to improving the lives of mothers is unwavering. Our celebration of World Breastfeeding Week throughout August underscores our commitment to supporting working mothers and promoting breastfeeding as a fundamental aspect of maternal and child health."
The Mothers@Work project aims to create an enabling environment in the workplace for maternity rights protection and breastfeeding support for working mothers and their children. These interventions are crucial in the ongoing effort to create a more nurturing environment for working mothers. The interactive engagement, coupled with the endorsement of esteemed representatives, further solidifies the importance of breastfeeding in the RMG sector and beyond.
World Breastfeeding Week is observed every year to empower and support breastfeeding mothers and raise awareness of the numerous health benefits that breastfeeding offers both mothers and infants.
