10/08/2026
World Breastfeeding Week Launched at Abua at the Pru West District.
SPEECH*
*Launch of Annual Breastfeeding Month*
*Theme: “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works”*_
Protocol observed:
Nana Abua Dikro, Nana Tigangam Dikro, Hon Assembly man, CHMC members, colleagues health workers, Representatives from UNICEF, Religious Leaders, Distinguished Guests, Mothers, Fathers, Caregivers, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good morning.
It is my great honor to welcome you all to the launch of this year’s *Annual Breastfeeding Month*.
This year’s theme, _“Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works”_ could not be more timely. It reminds us that breastfeeding is not a new idea. It is a proven, time-tested, and cost-effective investment in our children, our families, and our future.
*Why breastfeeding is a sustainable start*
The first 1000 days of life, from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, shape a person’s health, learning, and earning potential for life.
Breast milk is nature’s perfect food.
1. *For the child*: It provides complete nutrition, protects against diarrhoea, pneumonia, and infections, and builds brain power and immunity. Exclusively breastfed babies have fewer hospital admissions and better school performance later.
2. *For the mother*: It reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancers, helps with weight loss after birth, and delays another pregnancy.
3. *For the nation*: It is free, renewable, and environmentally sustainable. No packaging, no waste, no fuel to prepare. It saves families money and reduces pressure on our health system.
When we support breastfeeding, we are directly contributing to SDGs on health, nutrition, education, gender equality, and climate.
*Strengthen what works*
Ladies and gentlemen, we know what works. The evidence is clear.
What works is *early initiation* - putting baby to breast within the first hour of birth.
What works is *exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months*, and continued breastfeeding with complementary foods up to 2 years and beyond.
What works is *skilled support* from health workers at every contact.
What works is *family support*, especially from fathers and grandmothers.
What works is *baby-friendly hospitals and workplaces* that allow mothers to breastfeed and work with dignity.
What works is *enforcing the Code* to protect families from inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes.
Our job this month, and every month, is to strengthen these pillars. Not to reinvent, but to do more of what we already know saves lives.
*Our Commitment as Ghana Health service/Pru West Health Directorate;
As we launch this month, we recommit to:
1. *Protect*: Strengthen implementation and monitoring of the International Code in all our facilities.
2. *Promote*: Roll out community education through CHPS zones, schools, markets, and media in local languages.
3. *Support*: Train more health workers in lactation counseling and expand Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. We will also advocate for breastfeeding corners in workplaces and public spaces.
4. *Engage men*: Launch father-to-father support because when fathers are involved, breastfeeding rates go up.
*A call to action*
To our mothers: You have the power. Trust yourself. Ask for help. You are not alone.
To fathers and families: Be the biggest cheerleaders. Carry the baby, cook the food, and defend the mother’s right to breastfeed anywhere, anytime.
To employers: A lactation room is not a luxury. It is a productivity tool.
To my health workers: Every counseling session you give is changing a child’s future.
To partners and media: Help us amplify the message. Let’s make breastfeeding the norm, not the exception.
*Conclusion*
A sustainable start in life begins at the breast. It is the first vaccine, the first lesson, and the first act of love.
Let us use this month to strengthen what works, remove barriers, and ensure that every child in Abua/ Pru West District, gets the best possible start.
On this note, it is my singular honor and privilege to officially declare the *2026 Annual Breastfeeding Month* launched.
Let us breastfeed. Let us support. Let us sustain the future.
Thank you🙏
Stephen Notob
Sub District Head
Prang
