cfhinitiative

MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON BREASTFEEDING:A PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR BREAST CANCER

                                                                  

Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer, especially if a woman breastfeeds for more than one year.

According to Amy Van Deusen, a large-scale analysis of nearly 150,000 women published in ‘The Lancelot’ in 2002 discovered that among women who breastfed, for every 12 months of breastfeeding (either with one child or spread over multiple children), the risk of breast cancer decreased by 4.3 percent compared to women who didn’t breastfeed at all.

Then a study published in 2014 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women of African ancestry have a high risk of developing the aggressive and hard – to- treat forms of breast cancer called estrogen receptor-negative and triple-negative, and the risk actually goes up when a woman gives birth, but breastfeeding negates this risk.

There are several reasons why breastfeeding protects health;

*Producing milk 24/7 limits breast cells ability to malfunction.

*Most women have fewer menstrual cycles when they are breastfeeding (added to the 9 missed periods during pregnancy) resulting in lower estrogen levels.

*Many women tend to eat more nutritious foods and follow healthier lifestyles (limit smoking and alcohol use) while breastfeeding.

Women are therefore encouraged to breastfeed their children for up to 1 year at least especially if the family has a record of breast cancer.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

 

#Breastfeeding

#AprotectiveFactorforBreastCancer

#who #unfpa #MondayHealthBurst

 

                                                                             

MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON BREASTFEEDING:A PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR BREAST CANCER Read More »

GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE IMAGE

GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Digital divide according to Investopedia, encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology, along with access (or a lack of access) to the internet.

As observed in education and other areas of life, women and girls face a wide divide in the digital space which is significantly taking over the universe and economic opportunities with the world adjusting to the change. This indicates that gender disparity has also found its undeserving place in the digital world.

This wide gender gap in digital access, literacy and skills is caused by the social norms, gender roles and expectations of women in the household. This includes the negative stereotyping of women and girls in their career paths and the assumptions that boys and men do better in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields than girls.

The digital divide against women and girls will worsen gender discrimination and promote unequal access to employment opportunities for girls, which can lead to financial lack and poverty.

Government and stakeholders can work towards the inclusion of girls and women in the digital ecosystem and close the gap by ensuring that girls are educated and have access to ICT, improve gender-responsive systems and programs, and the like.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #Genderbias #GenderDigitalDivide

GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Read More »

Monday Health Burst on Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding

 

                                                                          

 In the past week, we discussed breastfeeding to a larger extent. We highlighted its physical, mental and health benefits to both mother and child.

Today, we will be sharing the economic benefits of breastfeeding as it affects individual, the community, and a Nation.

The economic benefits of breastfeeding include; lower net food cost to households, reduced expenditure on publicly subsidized formula and health care, and lower overall health care costs.

According to John Weimer, Economic Research Service(U.S. Department of Agriculture), in the US alone, an estimated minimum of $3.6 billion would be saved if breastfeeding were increased from current levels (64 percent in-hospital, 29 percent at 6 months) to those recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General (75 and 50 percent, respectively). Likely, this figure is an underestimation of the total savings because it represents cost savings from the treatment of only three childhood illnesses: Otitis media, Gastroenteritis, and Necrotizing enterocolitis.

The benefits of breastfeeding even on a large scale cannot be overly emphasized.

Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding should be encouraged by all.

#Breastfeeding #who #unfpa #unicef
#EducateandSupport
#BuildingBackBetter
#MondayHealthBurst

 

Monday Health Burst on Economic Benefits of Breastfeeding Read More »

SOCIAL INEQUALITIES AGAINST NURSING MOTHERS, CHALLENGES AND REMEDIES

Despite the heightened awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, there is still a low rate of breastfeeding practices in Nigeria. This is because of the social inequalities against nursing mothers who struggle to live above these challenges.

According to epidemiologists, breastfeeding has become a social justice and health equity issue, and is no longer for rocking chairs.

Studies have shown that cultural and societal attitudes, poor family and social support, embarrassment about feeding in public, lactation problems including ignorance, and other psychological influences exacerbate the marginalization of nursing mothers. Such inequalities range from access to healthcare, education, employment, leadership roles, etc.

To address the social inequities and injustices in the opportunities and resources affecting the patterns of resourceful breastfeeding mothers, education and support from family and society are paramount. Also, the implementation of maternal legal rights will protect working nursing mothers from every form of social injustice and discrimination.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #WorldBreastfeedingWeek #Breastfeedingchallenges #GenderBias #breastfeeding #inequality #GBV #UNFPA #UNICEF #WHO

SOCIAL INEQUALITIES AGAINST NURSING MOTHERS, CHALLENGES AND REMEDIES Read More »

Monday Health Burst on Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding to Babies

 

                                               

Breastfeeding is the act of feeding an infant breast milk from the breast. Exclusive and continued breastfeeding could help prevent 13% of death globally among children under five years old.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months and encourages continuing breastfeeding even after solid foods are introduced until the age of two. It is also recommended, that Children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth.

The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding cannot be understated as it includes;

Brain development: A US study showed that toddlers and preschoolers who had been exclusively breastfeed for at least three months had brains with twenty to thirty percent more white matter which connects different regions of the brain and transmits signals between them than those who had no breast milk. Therefore, Infants who are breastfed exclusively are more likely to have higher intelligence quotient (IQ) than formula fed babies.

Life long benefits: Children who were breastfed are less likely to suffer from diseases such as leukaemia and lymphoma and tend to have better eyesight, and straighter teeth than those who had formula milk.
Breastfeeding also helps to lower baby’s risk of becoming obese or developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes as adult.

Exclusive breastfeeding is known to considerably decrease infant mortality on account of common childhood illness. It is one of the ways to minimize the chances of a baby getting diarrhoea, allergies, pneumonia and suffering from malnutrition.

Sadly, three in five babies are not breastfed in the first hour of life and two out of three infants are not exclusively breastfed for the recommended six months.

More awareness should be created on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
Support from family members and friends is vital in encouraging mothers to breastfeed their infants exclusively.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#Breastfeeding #who #unfpa #unicef
#EducateandSupport
#BuildingBackBetter
# MondayHealthBurst

Monday Health Burst on Benefits of Exclusive Breastfeeding to Babies Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON BREASTFEEDING AT THE WORKPLACE;WHAT THE LAW SAYS

                         

 

Breastfeeding is a process by which breast milk is fed to a child. According to World Health Organization, it is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival, although nearly 2 out of 3 infants are not exclusively breastfed for the recommended 6 months. This is very common among female workers who are breadwinners and also nursing mothers.
Breastfeeding at the workplace poses a serious challenge to female workers in our society today.

Ordinarily, as Africans, nursing mothers feel nervous about breastfeeding in the public to avoid indecent exposure. Also, nursing mothers are treated unfavourably by some employers. Therefore, to preserve their job, most nursing mothers discontinue breastfeeding their children at an early stage.

What did the law say about the protection of nursing mothers?
In recognition of the recommended exclusive breastfeeding by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, the Nigerian law provided in Section 54 of the Labour Act (Cap L1 LFN 2004) thus;
(1)In any public or private industrial or commercial undertaking or any branch thereof, or any agricultural undertaking or any branch thereof, a woman-

(d) Shall, in any case, if she is nursing her child, be allowed half an hour twice a day during her working hours for that purpose?

The implementation of this law will support employers to provide lactation rooms with standardized facilities at the workplace. More importantly, it will help promote the exclusive breastfeeding rate and lactation practice among female workers and protect working mothers from discrimination from their employers and colleagues.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #WorldBreastfeedingWeek #BreastfeedingFemaleWorkers #GenderBias

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON BREASTFEEDING AT THE WORKPLACE;WHAT THE LAW SAYS Read More »

WBW 2022

It’s World Breastfeeding Week!

Globally, 3 in 5 babies are not breastfed in the first hour of life – WHO. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses.

 

#WBW2022 #WABA #worldbreastfeedweek2022 #SDGs

It’s World Breastfeeding Week! Read More »

Gender Equality_SDG

ROLE OF GENDER EQUALITY IN ACHIEVING SDGs IN 2030

Gender equality, according to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is defined as women and men, girls and boys having equal conditions, treatment, and opportunities for realizing their full potential, human rights, and dignity, and for contributing to (and benefitting from) economic, social, cultural and political development. It is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally, regardless of gender.

 

There is a growing global recognition that gender is a key determinant of health inequalities and health sector performance. In framing the Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Global agenda for All, it was widely recognized that integrating gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment perspectives into policies and programs is important to the achievement of global commitments and targets. More precisely, global best practices in health care delivery demonstrate that gender mainstreaming and human rights-based approaches lead to better health outcomes for men and women, boys and girls.

 

Women and girls make up half of the population of the world yet are marginalized in every area of life. Extreme poverty is higher among women because of the societal and cultural belief that women are homemakers while men are said to be breadwinners. The popular saying “Educate a girl educate a nation” is a call for action that should be championed by all. Poverty would end in all its forms in society and will improve if women have access to decent work and pay.

Also, maternal and child mortality will reduce if women have full rights and protection to reproductive rights, especially the eradication of female genital mutilation done on girls and women. This will indirectly bring a significant change in the promotion of life and well-being of all which is one of the global goals.

Every gender prejudice has an undermining effect on all other global goals because women make up half of the population of the world, and women’s right is a human right. 

Once given the right tools, and privilege, women will achieve more success across all disciplines and live a self-empowered and independent life that will benefit the overall betterment of society.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #GenderEquality #SDG5 #GenderBias #EqualityEqualsProgress

ROLE OF GENDER EQUALITY IN ACHIEVING SDGs IN 2030 Read More »

Monday Health Burst on Viral Hepatitis-Vaccine and Treatment

Welcome to today’s Monday Health Burst on Viral Hepatitis Vaccination and Treatment. The vaccination and treatment for hepatitis differs depending on the type of virus.

Hepatitis A has no specific treatments. The body usually clears up the virus within 6 months of contraction, without leaving a lasting damage on the liver. However, resting, managing nausea, avoiding alcohol and use of medications could help. Currently, the two  known types of hepatitis A vaccine include a single-dose vaccine which is given as two shots, 24 weeks apart, and a vaccine combination that can protect against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B. The combination vaccine can be given as three shots over 6 months.

Haptieties B vaccine is available for all age groups. However, the treatment of Hepatitis B may be life long. This is to ensure that the infection does not develop to something much worse and that the infection does not spread to other people. These treatment may include: Antiviral medications, Interferon injections and Liver transplant.

The most effective therapy for hepatitis C is a drug combination consisting of pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Pegylated interferon is taken weekly as an injection and ribavirin is a twice daily tablet. The treatment is a form of chemotherapy and the ability to tolerate it varies widely for each person. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, but the best way to prevent hepatitis C is by avoiding behaviors that can spread the disease, especially injecting drugs. It is important to carryout routine testing for hepatitis C, because treatments can cure most people with hepatitis C in 8 to 12 weeks according to research.

For Hepatitis D, Pegylated interferon alpha is the generally recommended treatment. Treatment should last for at least 48 weeks irrespective of the patient’s response. Though virus tends to give a low rate of response to the treatment, the treatment is associated with a lower likelihood of disease progression, according to National Center for Biotechnology Information. There is also no vaccine to prevent hepatitis D yet, however, a report by Centre for Disease Control shows that prevention of hepatitis B with hepatitis B vaccine also protects against future hepatitis D infection.

There is no specific treatment capable of altering the course of acute hepatitis E, as the disease is usually self-limiting. Hospitalization is generally not required. Most important is the avoidance of unnecessary medications. Acetaminophen, paracetamol and medication against vomiting should be used sparingly or avoided.
Hospitalization is required for people with fulminant hepatitis and should also be considered for symptomatic pregnant women. Immunosuppressed people with chronic hepatitis E benefit from specific treatment using ribavirin, an antiviral drug. In some specific situations, interferon has been used successfully. A vaccine to prevent hepatitis E virus infection has been developed and is licensed in China, but is not yet available elsewhere.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#StillOnViralHepatitis #Vaccine #Treatment #WHD2022 #BB9ja

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

                                                                                                                              

Monday Health Burst on Viral Hepatitis-Vaccine and Treatment Read More »

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 5

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015 is Sustainable Development Goal 5, whose mission is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

According to Wikipedia, SDG 5 has nine targets and 14 indicators. Six of the targets are “outcome-oriented”: ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; ending violence and exploitation of women and girls; eliminating harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation; the increasing value of unpaid care and promoting shared domestic responsibilities; ensuring full participation of women in leadership and decision-making, and ensuring access to universal reproductive rights and health. The three “means of achieving” targets are: fostering equal rights to economic resources, property ownership, and financial services for women; promoting the empowerment of women through technology; and adopting, strengthening policies, and enforcing legislation for gender equality.

It is a fundamental right of a woman to live free of all discrimination or violence, to have a quality education, work, equal pay, health care, and a wholesome inclusion in political and economic decision-making. Our government needs to take substantial actions to help achieve SDG 5 because the inclusion of women and girls in economic and political decision-making will essentially drive more sustainable development outcomes for all.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #SDG5 #GenderBias #Genderequality

 

 

 

 

 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 5 Read More »