Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, [email protected]
THE number of children who are exclusively breastfed has gone up to 78,4 percent in Zimbabwe from 49,3 percent, an improvement set to help infants achieve optimal growth, development, and good health.
In a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said a cocktail of strategies and measures have been implemented by the Government to improve child nutrition.
“Pertaining to child nutrition, a cocktail of strategies and measures being implemented by the Government, particularly from the Ministry of Health and Child Care has seen an improvement in exclusive breastfeeding practices,” he said.
“The proportion of children exclusively breastfed increased from 49,3 percent in 2020 to 78,4 percent in 2023.
“The Government also surpassed the 90 percent target for Vitamin A supplementation of children of 6 to 11 months of age,” said Dr Muswere.
The World Health Organization recommends mothers to exclusively breastfeed infants for the child’s first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and health.
Thereafter, they should be given nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond.
The systematic review’s findings suggest that exclusive breastfeeding of infants with only breast milk, and no other foods or liquids, for six months has several advantages over exclusive breastfeeding for 3-4 months followed by mixed breastfeeding.
These advantages include a lower risk of gastrointestinal infection for the baby, more rapid maternal weight loss after birth, and delayed return of menstrual periods.
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