World Breastfeeding Week begins in districts

World Breastfeeding Week-2026 has been inaugurated in districts including Rajbari and Moulvibazar on Saturday with the theme “Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: strengthen what works” and putting emphasis on creating mass awareness to promote breastfeeding to protect child health.

RAJBARI: On this occasion, a colourful rally and a discussion meeting were organised at the conference room of the Rajbari Civil Surgeon's Office on Saturday morning chaired by Sadar Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Ebadat Hossain.

The discussion meeting was addressed by District Civil Surgeon's Office MOCS Dr Mohammad Nurul Islam, District EPI Officer Md Kamal Hossain, Senior Health Education Officer Mokarema Manjura, District Sanitary Inspector Surjo Kumar Pramanik, Sadar Hospital Nursing Supervisor Farida Yasmin and NGO representative Md Lutfar Rahman Labu.

The speakers said that it is very important to feed the mother's colostrum immediately after the birth of the baby. Mother's breast milk contains all the natural nutrients and anti-inflammatory elements that play an important role in building the newborn's immunity. 

They also said that the baby should be fed only breast milk for the first six months after birth. This ensures the normal physical and mental development of the baby and significantly reduces the risk of various infectious diseases including diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles.

In his speech, Dr Ebadat Hossain said that various studies have proven that if breast milk is stored in a specific manner, its nutritional value remains intact for a long time. He said that breast milk not only ensures the nutrition of the baby, it also plays an important role in building a deep emotional bond between the mother and the child. 

KULAURA, MOULVIBAZAR: Kulaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sanjida Akhter inaugurated the World Breastfeeding Week organised by the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN) at the Upazila Health Complex as the chief guest on Saturday. 

She highlighted the importance of colostrum as a baby's first food and called for further raising awareness of breastfeeding at the grassroots level to ensure sustainable nutrition for children.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Bornali Das chaired the meeting and discussed the main theme of the day, “Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: strengthen what works”.

Health Complex Resident Medical Officer Dr Tanjimul Rafi, MODC Dr Mst Sarmin Farhana Jerin, Head Teacher Shamsunnahar, Health Inspector-in-Charge Zamanwara Begum, Upazila Press Club President M Moshabbir Ali, General Secretary Nazmul Bari Sohel and others were present. The speakers urged mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life. 

Doctors, nurses, nutrition officers of the Upazila Health Complex and representatives of various supporting organisations were present at the event.