Rajasthan government released a policy about breastfeeding in the state. This policy aims at encouraging and promoting the breastfeeding amongst rural communities along with its early initiation. This initiative is considered as a part of National Nutrition Mission-2022. This policy was released by state Medical and Health Minister Kali Charan Saraf. Know more.
While releasing the policy, he stated that in Rajasthan the percentage of early initiation of breastfeeding is only at 28%. And the infants who get to breastfeed in the first six months are 58 percent. Mr. Saraf asked the support from mothers, family members, medicos and paramedical staff for the success of policy.
Reason to implement the policy
This new policy came into being as around 72 per cent not are breast fed within one hour of birth due to different reasons. This put them under the threat of malnutrition or sometimes death. As per the National Family and Health Survey-4 (2015-16), institutional deliveries including public and private facilities are 84 per cent while as per National Family and Health Survey-3 (2005-06), this rate was only 13 percent.
UNICEF and Rajasthan
New Breastfeeding policy is jointly developed by Department of Women and Child Development and National Health Mission with technical support from UNICEF. UNICEF representatives are closely working with Rajasthan government on the fronts of maternal and child health care. With the implementation of the policy, a huge change will be noticed in reducing infant and neonatal mortality and improving children’s immunity towards infections. It is believed that this new policy will improve the current breastfeeding rate.
