The United Nations Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF has declared that only 21.3% of Katsina women practice exclusive breast feeding as at the year 2021.

UNICEF Nutrition Manager, Kano Field Office, Elhadji Diop, who made the disclosure at a Media Dialogue on Exclusive Breast Feeding in Katsina, further revealed that though the rate of exclusive breast feeding in the state rose marginally from 0.7% in 2016, it however remained the lowest in the country.

He said, “Katsina is expected to attain 50% exclusive breastfeeding rate by 2030 in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target”.

“Nigeria has the highest burden of malnutrition in Africa and second only to India globally.”

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Also speaking, a nutritionist from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Dr. Steve Daniels, observed that malnutrition is the direct or underlying cause of 45% of all deaths of children under five years and the largest single contributor to diseases, based on the findings of the UN’s Standing Committee on Nutrition.

In his paper titled: “Why Breastfeeding is important and what is ‘Stronger with Breast milk only’ initiative,” Dr. Daniels decried the progress made so far as too low to meet the global target.

He said, “Poor diet and resulting malnutrition were among the greatest current societal challenges causing vast health, economic and environmental burdens”.

The varsity don, who attributed the global malnutrition challenge to failure of most mothers to practise exclusive breast feeding, described the first six months of a child’s birth as the foundation for its development.

In a related development, UNICEF has disclosed that 8 out of 10 children in Katsina are malnourished, no thanks to poor breastfeeding by their mothers.