Women are Very Important to the World, Cross River Health Commissioner

Iloke Egbe SPC.

The Commissioner Cross River State Ministry of Health Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk has affirmed that women are very important to the World given their fundamental role in procreation as it's a duty assigned to women by God. 

He made the assertion during the flag off of 2025 World Breastfeeding week with the theme Prioritize Breastfeeding, Create a Sustainable Support System, held at the State General Hospital along Mary Slessor Road Calabar. He alluded that if women stop their role of Breastfeeding babies, in 50 years to come the World would end because there is no good replacement for breast milk. 

He also stated that the World is very much interested in what women are doing to sustain the family system which established the premise for awareness creation and sensitization of the public to pay more attention to the plight of women and to support them mostly during the period of breastfeeding babies, adding that women have no option in breastfeeding their babies. 

According to Mr Ayuk, the administration of His Excellency Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu the Governor of Cross River State has prioritized support for Breastfeeding mothers and babies by becoming the first Governor in the Nigerian Federation to approve and implement 6 months paid maternity leave for Breastfeeding mothers.  He added that Government would establish creches in different locations within the workplaces to provide convenience for breastfeeding mothers starting with Civil Servants.

He informed that  from next year, traditional rulers shall be incorporated in the celebration while calling on husbands to support their wives during breastfeeding, that the Governor wants nurses to educate mothers to be healthy and to reduce or avoid illnesses as they have the role to educate mothers on hygiene. 

Highlights of the launch was education and demonstration on proper breastfeeding protocol by Prof. Margaret Agiang from the University of Calabar, benefits of nutrition and negative effects of malnutrition by the State Nutrition Officer Mrs Nkem Eyong Ubana, The role of men in supporting Breastfeeding by Dr. Simon Obogo and finally the presentation of softcare pampas for distributions to nursing mothers present and group photographs. 

The World Breastfeeding Week Flag off was organized by the Cross River State Ministry of Health in collaboration with State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, World Health Organization, State Committee on Food and Nutrition, State planning Commission, Zipline, Humanity Without Borders Empowerment Initiative and other dignitaries and stakeholders from line Ministries Departments and Agencies also in attendance.