The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has given reasons why it was promoting exclusive breastfeeding through stakeholders like fathers and grand mothers in the home.

The organisation said it was to improve breastfeeding culture in every household and enhance the growth of the average child.

Theis was disclosed yesterday at a two-day workshop organised for journalists to amplify the need for the involvement of fathers and grandmothers towards promoting exclusive breastfeeding crusades in its field office in Bauchi.

The UNICEF Bauchi Field Office is working in five states comprising Bauchi, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba and Plateau respectively.

UNICEF Nutrition Field Officer, Philomena Irene, disclosed that the involvement of the father and grandmother was as a result of low percentage of breastfeeding in the respective states and with a view to feel those gaps from its earlier approach to a new approach method of “Small Double Action.”

She explained that the new approach is a gradual process where it is expected to meet with the influencers at the grassroots levels with a view to change their perceptions about breastfeeding as well as to ensure they imbibe and improve on the culture.

In his welcome speech, UNICEF’s Communication Officer, Opeyemi Olagunju, said the essence of the media engagement was to interact with journalists to amplify the needs of continuing breastfeeding in a new way.

He commended Adamawa state for its significant improvement on breastfeeding from 2017- 2021 compared to other States in the Bauchi field office.