PM for breastfeeding infants at workplaces

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday highlighted the importance of breastfeeding and homemade foods for infants at mothers' workplaces.
"If a mother can feed her infant at workplace her baby would be healthy and the mother will also be tension-free and more sincere to her work," she in a message on the eve of the World Breastfeeding Week-2015 that begins Saturday.
This year the theme of this week is, 'Breastfeeding and Work: Let's Make It Work'.
The Prime Minister said there is no alternative to breastfeeding for the normal growth of children as it contains essential nutrients for the infants and helps increase resistance power.
"For this reason the government ordered to introduce breastfeeding corners in government and non-government offices," she added.
Sheikh Hasina said, "We have been providing allowance and facilities under the maternal scheme, while working mothers are getting allowance from 'working lactating mothers fund'."
The premier said that the government is working relentlessly for the last six years to increase the habit of breastfeeding and reach healthcare services for mothers and children to the doorsteps through Community Clinics and Upazila Health Complexes.
The government has also enacted Baby Food (Marketing Control) Act, 2013 to control the substitutes of baby food, she added.
Besides, everyone of the family of a pregnant mother should ensure nutrition and care for her, the Prime Minister said.
She urged the non-government organizations, banks, insurance companies, factories, shopping malls, professional bodies, trade unions and other human rights organizations to create awareness about the issue and to help mothers feed their infants at working places.
Expressing her happiness for observing the week in the country like elsewhere in the globe, she wished success of the week.
The week would help create mass-awareness about ensuring improvement of mothers and babies and ensuring nutrition for them, she hoped.
World Breastfeeding Week is observed every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world, a BSS report said.
-SS