cfhinitiative

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Community Development, Cultural practices in Africa, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN ERADICATING HARMFUL CULTURAL PRACTICES

Certain cultures in different parts of the world accommodate harmful practices that encourage forms of exploitation, violence, abuse, injustice, discrimination and marginalization, committed primarily against women and children. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child/forced marriage, initiation rites, infanticide, male preference, honour killings, forced begging, stoning, acid attacks, bonded labour, sexual slavery, breast ironing, and nutritional taboos are harmful practices that are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of its victims.

Significant progress has been made thus far to eradicate harmful cultural practices globally, but the economic, physical and social disruptions caused by the ongoing pandemic could deter the advancement. The new United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) projections in April 2020 predict that the COVID-19 pandemic may cause about 2 million more cases of Female Genital Mutilation and about 13 million new child marriages in the next decade because of significant delays in programmes organized to tackle harmful cultural practices and economic hardships.

Women are at the forefront raising their voices against harmful cultural practices and providing interventions to support its victims even amidst the pandemic. Stephanie Linus is an award winning Nigerian actress, filmmaker and activist passionate about women and child rights. ‘Dry’ an award winning movie produced by her exposes the evils of child marriage and the physical and psychological consequences associated with it. Through her foundation ‘Extended Hands’ she has partnered with local and international organizations in building awareness on fistula prevention, maternal health, family planning and has provided various medical interventions to indigent girls and women suffering Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in Sokoto, Kebbi, Cross River, Oyo, and Kwara states in Nigeria. Her foundation has continued to provide more interventions to vulnerable women and girls, deflating the number of new victims of harmful traditional practices in the COVID-19 era. She was recently appointed as the UNFPA Regional Goodwill Ambassador for West and Central Africa.

It is important to note that women are the most qualified advocates to fight for the eradication of harmful traditional practices. This is because women are the highest fatalities who have experienced and survived the repercussions of these practices. Hence, more women should be encouraged to speak up and empowered to be self-reliant.

Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) continues to echo the call for an end to the suffering of girls and women caused by harmful traditional practices through community outreaches, policy-oriented research, and media campaigns. CFHI has through the United States Consulate Women And Youth Empowerment (WYNE) project, mitigated the rate of female genital mutilation, child marriage, violence against women, land disinheritance, gender (Son) preference, Incest, rape and harmful widowhood practices in Ngor Okpala community, Imo State, Nigeria. After having ten community dialogues with the community stakeholders, resolutions on these harmful practices were reached, leading to the development of a community charter that was signed by the paramount traditional ruler and representatives of the villages that make up the community. Operation-Know-Your-Right Campaign was thereafter organized through which over 735 women and 28 youths were sensitized with the right knowledge to stand against harmful cultural practices within and outside the community.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Health, Monday Health Burst, Patient Safety / cfhinitiative

PATIENT SAFETY

The simplest definition of patient safety according to World Health Organization, is the prevention of errors and adverse effects to patients associated with health care.

Unhealthy conditions of the body or mind displace people from the normal state of health thereby deterring their physical or mental wellbeing. It is expected for such individuals to seek out solutions to their health challenges through different means available and accessible to them. Nowadays, people utilize the health services of trained medical practitioners to recuperate and expect that they will be cared for in a safe manner. Unfortunately, there are so many recorded cases of medical negligence resulting in injury or death of patients.

Thomas Agan, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), once said during an interaction with journalists in 2017 that over 90 per cent of deaths recorded in Nigerian hospitals are due to poor attitude of health workers. He also mentioned that until healthcare providers are held accountable for every challenge they create, things will not go down well.

Trained medical professionals legally owe a duty of care to their patients. Universally, Medical practitioners are governed by the Hippocratic Oath pledged at serving humanity with optimum capacity. One of the several laws governing medical practice in Nigeria is Medical and Dental Practitioner Act (CAP M8), structured to regulate medical ethics and rules of professional conduct. Infringement of this duty through medical malpractices such as wrong diagnosis and treatment, polypharmacy, defective medical products, and other illegal practices resulting to some form of damage to the patient qualifies as medical negligence. It is pertinent to understand that medical negligence is not exclusive to medical doctors but includes nurses, technicians, pharmacists and other health care providers.

It is no news that a lot of progress needs to be made as a nation in providing an enabling environment with modern and innovative equipment to aid medical practitioners in carrying out their duties. Doctors in government hospitals constantly have to demand adequate remuneration, but some health care providers now use this as facades masking so many cases of medical negligence.

Maintaining patient safety and care requires cooperative effort from all health care providers responsible for patient care. Team work not only provides the safest care but improves medical management especially in diagnosis and treatment of patients. It may not be totally possible to eradicate crisis emanating from medical negligence but, with quality health care work force, the right hospital leadership and management, and the right health care facility and infrastructure, it can be controlled.

Developing active networks of patients and providers, sharing experiences, learning from failure and pro-active risk assessment, facilitating effective evidence-based care, monitoring improvement, empowering and educating patients and the public as partners in the process of care are some of the key factors to consider in achieving a quality agenda.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to tackle issues of basic health concerns. Join us every Monday for more health-related articles on all our social media platforms.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Health Communication, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HEALTH COMMUNICATION

Health communication encompasses the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions for health promotion. Health communication can help raise awareness of health risks and solutions by providing the skills and motivation needed to influence social and behavioral change, and increase demand for appropriate health services.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), women make up 75% of the healthcare workforce in many countries affirming women’s indispensable contributions in health communication. Effective communication with health care providers on health matters is crucial in the delivery of high quality health care. Findings from National Library of Medicine (NIM) have proven that female health care providers are likely to use more patient-centred communication strategies by asking more questions, engaging in more information sharing, encouraging patient participation during interactions, and providing more psychosocial counselling to patients compared to the men.

The practices of health communication have contributed to health promotion and disease prevention in several areas. In early 2003 for example, WHO epidemiologists learned that a deadly disease known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was quickly spreading to other countries from China. WHO and other public health officials were able to place announcement in local media such as the radio and newspaper. The radio was able to quickly disseminate the information as it is easily accessed and reaches people at the grassroots level. Also, in the case of the present Pandemic, through health communication, different countries became more prepared for Corona Virus and plans were put in place to mitigate the spread.

Moji Makanjuola is a female health journalist in Nigerian who has contributed significantly to the improvement and development of health journalism. She is a Media Consultant to the United Nations Women, after working for decades in the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) where she rose to the position of head of health and gender desk. She was a pioneer member of the Centre for Diseases Control (CDC), Atlanta in USA. Presently, she is the Executive Director of International Society of Media in Public Health, and the Chief Executive Officer of Bronz and Onyx. Other examples of Nigerian women who are key players in health communication include; Princess Osita-Oleribe, the Co-Founder, Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI); Babafunke Fagbemi, Executive Director, Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI); Dr. Mojisola Odeku, Project Director, Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI); Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director, Nigeria Health Watch, among others.

Female participation in health communication does not only enable timely information access to the family members, it also strengthens gender transformative change to improve women health and access to health care and services. For effective health communication strategies, more women should be involved in the process of disease control right from the planning stage through to implementation and evaluation.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Health, Monday Health Burst, Suicide Prevention, WHO / cfhinitiative

SUICIDE PREVENTION

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death. According to World Health Organization (WHO), close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year and for each suicide, there are more than 20 suicide attempts. The WHO report also states that suicide is the third leading cause of death between the age of 15-19 globally. However, about 79% of suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Nigeria is ranked “15th in the world” and “top in Africa” for its suicide rate, according to Global Health Equity (GHE). Due to the stigma associated with suicide in Nigeria, most cases are not reported. However, some of the widely reported suicide cases include that of a 100-level student of Kogi State University, Ayingba, who ended her life because her boyfriend left her, a student of Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, who committed suicide by drinking two bottles of the deadly pesticide, the University of Ibadan lecturer, who took his life on April 6, 2019, after an unfulfilled dream of completing his PhD programme, a worker in Kogi State over alleged nonpayment of salary, among others.

The link of suicide and mental disorder (depression and alcohol abuse) is well established especially in high income countries but many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses, such as financial problems, relationship break-up or chronic pain and illness. Experiencing conflict, disaster, violence, abuse, or loss and a sense of isolation are strongly associated with suicidal behaviour. Suicide rates are also high amongst vulnerable groups who experience discrimination, such as refugees and migrants, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, intersex (LGBTI) persons, and prisoners. The strongest risk factor for suicide according to WHO report is a previous suicide attempt.

It is estimated by WHO that around 20% of global suicides are due to pesticide self-poisoning, most of which occur in rural agricultural areas in low- and middle-income countries. Other common methods of suicide are hanging and firearms. Knowledge of the most used suicide methods is important to devise prevention strategies which have shown to be effective, such as restriction of access to means of suicide.

Suicides are preventable with timely, evidence-based, and often low-cost interventions. There are several measures that can be taken at population, sub-population, and individual levels to prevent suicide and suicide attempts. These include: Reducing access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, firearms, certain medications), introducing alcohol policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, early identification, treatment and care of people with mental and substance use disorders, chronic pain and acute emotional distress, training of non-specialized health workers in the assessment and management of suicidal behaviour, follow-up care for people who attempted suicide and provision of community support, improving coping strategies of people who are at risk, reducing risk factors for suicide, such as poverty, and giving hope for a better life after current problems are resolved.

In conclusion, Suicide is a complex issue and therefore suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labour, agriculture, business, justice, law, defence, politics, and the media.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Health, Politics, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN POLICY MAKING

Policies are deliberate systems enacted by those in positions of authority to define the rules, standards, regulations, and procedures that affect almost every aspect of human life such as education, health, agriculture, migration, aviation, finance, defence, environment, trade, justice, transportation, science and technology.

Valentina Tereshkova quotes, a bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women. Yet, for several decades, the society encouraged male dominance and totally excluded women from occupying positions that influence key decision making processes. Forgetting that making policies without the contribution of women may not adequately reflect the needs and preferences of women, youths, and children.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian-born economist and international development expert who during her tenor as the Minister of Finance for Nigeria, helped the country’s economy grow an average of 6% (per annum) over three years. She is credited with developing reform programs that helped improve governmental transparency and stabilizing the economy. Another example is Angela Merkel, who transformed German politics since being voted into office in 2005. Her numerous achievements at home and abroad have seen her top Forbes’ most powerful women list eight times.

A Member of Parliament in Rwanda, Thacienne Dusabeyezu once said, “The more women in the parliament, the better it is for children”. This is because women are generally more attached to children than men and they understand the needs of children. Hence, are more likely to enact child-friendly policies.

The role of women in policy making and implementation is essential in every society to help advance gender equality. Most women elected to be in the parliament will place women concerns and rights at the forefront of their agendas, suggesting policies that would promote women and speaking against policies that abuse women rights and deter their development.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said that to fix the gridlock in Congress, more women should be involved. This is because women are more focused on finding common ground and collaborating. Women are characterized by tenderness, love, care, creativity, innovation, reliability, and if more women are key decision makers, perhaps organizations could respond effectively to challenges before the challenges are escalated to bigger problems.

It is inappropriate to ignore the intellectual capital resource of over half the population of the world. To address global injustice and advocate for compassionate policies, both men and women must recognize the value of a balance in government. Women should not simply emulate the male role model, but should bring their own principles to every negotiating table.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Climate change, Global warming, Health, Hygiene, Sanitation, WHO / cfhinitiative

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HUMAN HEALTH

Changes in the overall climate of the planet cannot be over-emphasized. Continuous rise in temperature of the planet is becoming alarming and the root cause is Global warming. Fossil fuels are being continuously used to produce electricity. The burning of these fuels produces gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides which lead to global warming. Also, deforestation leads to warmer temperatures, hence, the hazard of global warming is continuously causing major damage to the Earth’s environment.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in 2014, the net warming from 1850 to the end of the 20th century was equivalent to nearly 2.5 W/m2 with carbon dioxide contribution about 60% to this figure, methane about 25%, with nitrous oxides and halo-carbons providing the remainder. The major cause of global warming is the greenhouse gases. They include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides and in some cases chlorine and bromine containing compounds. The build-up of these gases in the atmosphere changes the radiative equilibrium in the atmosphere. The overall effect is to warm the Earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere because greenhouse gases absorb some of the outgoing radiation of Earth and re-radiate it back towards the surface.

Another major cause of global warming is the depletion of ozone layer. This happens mainly due to the presence of chlorine-containing source gases. When ultraviolet light is present, these gases dissociate releasing chlorine atoms which then catalyzes ozone destruction. Many industrial processes produce a wide diversity of aerosols depending on what is being burned or generated in the manufacturing process. These aerosols in the atmosphere also cause global warming by changing the climate in two ways. Firstly, they scatter and absorb solar and infrared radiation and hereby warming the air directly. Secondly, they may alter the micro-physical and chemical properties of clouds and perhaps affect their lifetime and extent.

Effects of climate changes could be very hazardous to human health. Some effects includes; Air pollution and airborne allergens to likely increase, worsening allergy and asthma conditions; climate change including rising temperatures and changes in weather extremes. This will increase health risks and require greater vigilance in food safety practices and regulation because of the exposure of food to certain pathogens and toxins; extreme weather and other events related to climate change will impact health by exacerbating underlying medical conditions like food-borne and waterborne illnesses, and disrupting infrastructures that are essential to maintaining access to health care and emergency response services. Also, climate-related exposures may lead to adverse pregnancy and newborn health outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm birth, dehydration and associated renal failure, diarrhea, and respiratory disease.

Climate action meaning stepped-up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts is necessary to combat climate change. The most significant solution to put an end to this disaster is the use of alternative energy sources. They include wind, solar, bio mass, geothermal and hydro. The most noteworthy point in using these sources is their clean nature. These sources do not produce any sort of pollution or toxic gases that can lead to global warming. They are friendly to the environment and pose no threat to ecological balance.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) to tackle issues of basic health concerns. Join us every Monday for more health related articles on all our social media platforms.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Community Development, Gender, WHO, Women / cfhinitiative

FEMALE ROLES IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

According to Paul O’Neill, a good community is a cohesive, safe, confident, prosperous and happy place. A place that values and promotes open, participative development processes underpinned by a continuous culture of trans-generational learning. It is somewhere that people wish to stay in and see future generations grow up in.

Community development is almost impossible without the role of women both at the family level and in the society. Women are said to be the first teachers in the lives of every child, and whatever is embedded in the child springs forth to determine if the child will be responsible and patriotic citizen or otherwise.

As the society moves closer to gender equality, women are working to build a more substantial presence in the traditionally male-dominated industries. Women have grown from being relegated to the kitchen or bedroom, to taking up jobs that are supposedly designed for men. United Nations Women opined that not only has this contributed greatly to the economic growth of the community but has created a niche for future generations to strife. Some of these women are entrepreneurs, employing male and females alike.

Late Ameyo Stella Adadevoh is a Nigerian physician credited for curbing the wider spread of the Ebola Virus in Nigeria by placing the patient, Patrick Sawyer in quarantine despite pressure from the Liberian government. Women who are frontline health workers are fighting the war to eradicate COVID-19, and others who are human right activists work passionately to protect the rights of people in communities and taking up positions to tackle issues that affect the masses.

The role of women in community development can never be overemphasized. Therefore, to increase the efficiency and productivity of women in the communities, women should be appreciated and encouraged to do more.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Breast Care, Gender, Health, WHO, Women / cfhinitiative

MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV DURING BREASTFEEDING

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system and is spread through the blood and certain body fluids, including breast milk. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is the primary mode of HIV infection in infants. If neither the mother nor baby is on consistent HIV treatment, there is a high chance that the baby will be infected through breastfeeding.

Several factors can increase the risk of perinatal transmission. Having a high viral load implies that the white blood cells (CD4) which provides immunity to the body is low. A viral load indicates how much of the HIV is present in the body of an infected person. A high viral load may mean a recent HIV transmission, an untreated or uncontrolled HIV. Positive pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers with a CD4 count lower than 200 are at a greater risk of transmitting the virus to their infants.

HIV screening is essential during antenatal appointments at any health centre to ascertain the HIV status because the earlier the virus is detected the better the chances of living longer and enjoying a normal life. Test should also be repeated every three months and a Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) should be received if exposed to an infected blood within forty eight hours.

Accumulating evidence has also shown that giving antiretroviral medicines to the mother or the infant can significantly reduce the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding. Antiretroviral prophylaxis should be made available to HIV infected mothers and mothers-to-be in all health settings and should be administered to HIV exposed infants immediately after birth. The duration for antiretroviral care and treatment for the infant is dependent on the mothers’ choice of feeding either exclusive breast feeding or replacement feeding. However, World Health Organisation recommends HIV infected mothers to only do exclusive breastfeeding except replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable, and safe. Mixed feeding on the other hand is strongly discouraged as a breastfeeding option for reactive mothers.

All exposed infants should be tested for HIV at birth, at six (6) weeks and eighteen (18) months. This is done to monitor the HIV status of the newborn.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Politics, WHO, Women, Women in Leadership / cfhinitiative

GENDER ROLES IN LEADERSHIP

With the increasing interventions and awareness to promote equal rights and opportunities for boys and girls in Africa, more females are raising their voices against gender inequality. Women are now asserting their power as global ground breakers dominating fields and positions of leadership that were exclusively reserved for men. Women are seizing opportunities and attaining heights of success.

Around the world, women are leading countries. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has been the reigning queen since 1952. Africa is not left out. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. She served as the President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Catherine Samba-Panza served as interim President of the Central African Republic from 2014 to 2016. She was the first to hold that position in the country. Dame Virginia Ngozi Etiaba served as the governor of Anambra State, Nigeria, from 2006-2007.

Anyone irrespective of gender who possesses leadership skills and qualities can be a leader. Thus, men and women show distinct leadership traits and qualities. Many argue that women cannot withstand the challenges that come with leadership because their biological formation detests stress and pressure. Women are judged to be reserved and soft so they can be easily swayed. Well, these qualities are more of strengths than weaknesses. The soft nature of women makes them considerate leaders that listen to the plight of the masses and strive to protect the interest of the people they serve. This is a unique leadership quality called selflessness.

Compassion is an asset every leader must possess. A leader must be compassionate, deferential, submissive, self-effacing, and treat everyone with the same level of dignity. A compassionate and humble leader will learn from others and accept mistakes because he/she is not all knowing. Women are not just compassionate and humble, they are innovative, creative, and logical thinkers. Selecting leaders based on these attributes would definitely produce more female than male leaders. These attributes earn female leaders the collaboration and cooperation of the followers to advance for a better future.

Women led nations seem to be particularly successful in fighting COVID-19. New York Times reports that the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel has had fewer death rates than France, Italy and Spain. 34 year old Sanna Marin who is the Prime Minister of Finland with collaboration of 4 female led parties has had far lower deaths than nearby Sweden. Without a total national lock down, Tsai Ing-wen the female president of Taiwan has achieved one of the most successful efforts in the world at containing Corona Virus.

Women should be given more opportunities to occupy positions of leadership. Instead of criticizing the leadership abilities of women, men should be encouraged to embrace unique leadership traits of women leaders. The world will advance for the better when this is achieved.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender-based violence. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST

Breast Care, Exclusive Breastfeeding, Gender, Health, Viral Hepatitis, WHO, Women, World Breastfeeding Week / cfhinitiative

BREASTFEEDING WITH HEPATITIS B INFECTION

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) which is transmitted by blood, semen or other body fluid from an infected person. A pregnant woman with hepatitis B can infect the fetus through the placenta especially in cases of preterm labour, depending on the mother’s viral load. At birth and during breastfeeding, infants may also be infected with the virus through contact with blood and body fluids.

According to World Health Organization, Breastfeeding has been suggested as an additional mechanism by which infants may acquire HBV infection, because small amounts of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) have been detected in some samples of breastmilk. This study also found no association between maternal e-antigen status and transmission rates. In other words, any risk of transmission associated with breastmilk is negligible compared to the high risk of exposure to maternal blood and body fluids at birth. This is because breast pathology such as cracked or bleeding nipples or lesions with serous exudates could expose the infant to infectious doses of HBV.

To avoid any form of HBV transmission from mother to child. Center for Disease Control (CDC) opined that all infants must receive hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The second dose of vaccine should be given at age 1–2 months, and the third dose at age 6 months. This includes infants born to HBV-infected mothers. The infant should be tested after completion of the vaccine series at age 9–12 months, to determine if the vaccine worked and that the infant is not infected with HBV through exposure to the mother’s blood during the birth process.

In conclusion, the risk of HBV mother-to-child transmission through breastfeeding is negligible if infants born to HBV-positive mothers receive the HBIG/HBV vaccine at birth. Hence, hepatitis B infected mothers can breastfeed the babies provided the necessary precautions are taken. There is no need to delay breastfeeding until the infant is fully immunized.

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