Abia First Lady Backs 2025 World Breastfeeding Day, Urges Exclusive Breastfeeding

The Wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, has pledged her support for the 2025 World Breastfeeding Day campaign, saying she is ready to champion advocacy efforts to educate nursing mothers on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.

Mrs. Otti made the pledge on Tuesday while receiving an advocacy team from the Abia State Ministry of Health, the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and partner organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Society for Family Health, at her country home in Nvosi.

She described breast milk as the best source of nutrition for babies, noting that it contains all the essential nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.

“Breast milk is the best food for our babies because it contains all the essential nutrients they need to grow healthy,” she said.

Mrs. Otti commended the Ministry of Health for its leadership and appreciated the support of development partners in strengthening the state’s health sector. She noted that their contributions complement Governor Alex Otti’s efforts to improve healthcare delivery across Abia State.

She also called on families to encourage and support nursing mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding, stressing that no infant formula can match the nutritional value of breast milk.

The WHO Representative, Dr. William Bassey Wazingi, said the organization was impressed with the progress recorded by the Otti administration in the health sector and had come to reaffirm its commitment to supporting the state’s healthcare initiatives.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya, and the Executive Secretary of the Abia State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Kalu Ulu Kalu, commended Mrs. Otti for her consistent support for maternal and child healthcare.

They urged her to mobilize the wives of local government mayors to lead grassroots awareness campaigns among nursing mothers, especially in rural communities, as part of activities marking the 2025 World Breastfeeding Day.

World Breastfeeding Day is observed every August to promote breastfeeding and improve the health and well-being of infants worldwide.

Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, Mrs. Chinenye Nwaka, described the advocacy visit as further evidence of the progress being made in Abia State. She commended Mrs. Otti for her dedication to promoting quality healthcare services for women and children across the state.

By Chibunna Ikeokwu

Related