PUJEHUN DHMT COMMEMORATES WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

By Hassan Juana Koroma

The Pujehun District Health Management Team (DHMT), in collaboration with health partners, community stakeholders, lactating mothers and pregnant women, on Tuesday, 4 August 2026 joined the global community to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week, renewing calls for greater investment in breastfeeding support as a critical step towards improving maternal and child health. The event, held under the global theme, "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works," brought together healthcare professionals, community leaders and mothers to raise awareness about the life-saving benefits of breastfeeding and the importance of creating supportive environments for women to breastfeed successfully. Delivering the opening address, the District Surveillance Lead of the Pujehun DHMT, Alhaji Mahmoud Conteh, urged families, communities, healthcare workers and development partners to strengthen existing support systems that encourage, protect and promote breastfeeding. He described breastfeeding as one of the most effective and affordable public health interventions for reducing infant mortality and ensuring healthy growth and development. "Breastfeeding gives every child the best possible start in life," he said, adding that exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months provides all the nutrients an infant requires while protecting babies against common childhood illnesses by strengthening their immune systems.

Conteh further noted that breastfeeding offers significant health benefits to mothers, including aiding recovery after childbirth and lowering the risk of certain long-term health conditions.

Referring to this year's World Breastfeeding Week theme, he emphasized that sustainable improvements in child health can only be achieved by reinforcing systems that are already working. These include quality healthcare services, family support, workplace policies that favour breastfeeding mothers and increased public awareness. District Health Sister I, Madam Janet Tenneh Sankoh, encouraged mothers to seek professional medical advice whenever they encounter breastfeeding difficulties rather than relying on misinformation or harmful traditional practices.

She stressed that successful breastfeeding is a shared responsibility and appealed to fathers, caregivers, community leaders and employers to provide practical and emotional support to breastfeeding mothers.

Also speaking at the event, Senior Nutritionist at the Pujehun DHMT, Madam Jestina Jabu reaffirmed the district's commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition through continuous health education, advocacy campaigns and community outreach programmes.

She said the DHMT remains committed to ensuring that mothers receive accurate information and the support they need to practice exclusive breastfeeding, describing it as one of the most cost-effective investments in child survival and national development.

Madam Jabu called on communities to work collectively in creating an enabling environment where breastfeeding is protected, promoted and supported, noting that healthier children contribute to stronger families and a more sustainable future.

Participants, including pregnant women and lactating mothers, also received health education on the importance of early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, continued breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding, and proper maternal nutrition. World Breastfeeding Week is observed annually from 1 to 7 August to promote breastfeeding as a foundation for lifelong health. The campaign encourages governments, healthcare institutions, employers and communities worldwide to strengthen policies and programmes that enable mothers to breastfeed successfully and ensure every child receives the healthiest possible start in life.