Prof. Richmond Nii Okai Aryeetey, Head of the Department of Population, Family, and
Reproductive Health at the University of Ghana (UG), has advocated for the
establishment of breast milk banks in all medical facilities to reduce the
reliance on commercial infant formula.
He emphasized that no other food source could match the bioactive matrix of
benefits provided by human milk. “A milk bank is the safest alternative to
a mother’s own milk, having the ability to enhance infant nutrition and reduce
childhood morbidity and mortality,” he stated.
Prof. Aryeetey delivered his first lecture at the University of Ghana last Thursday.
The subject of his speech was “Child Feeding for Human Health and
Development: Bridging the Know-Do Gap.” He stressed that formula milk
should not be promoted as the standard for child feeding, although it can be
used as a substitute for human breast milk when access to human milk is
limited. He pointed out that the overuse of formula feeding in place of
traditional child feeding methods presents a serious issue.
He noted that while cow’s milk is the primary ingredient in commercial baby
formula, it is not meant for human consumption because it contains 300 percent
more protein than human milk. Prof. Aryeetey expressed concern that baby
formula producers and marketers have been using aggressive tactics to persuade
mothers to switch from breastfeeding to formula feeding.
Speaking on the advantages of breastfeeding, he mentioned that children who were
breastfed were much less likely to experience disease-related premature death
and were less likely to lag in their growth. Furthermore, he claimed that
breastfeeding reduced the risk of allergic diseases and biologically
conditioned children to eat healthily.
According to Prof. Aryeetey, medical services should be able to offer alternatives to
formula for mothers who are unable to produce milk. He emphasized the need for
the state to significantly increase its support for women and families to
better feed their children. He concluded that while individuals have options
for how they wish to feed their children, those choices must be informed by the
best available evidence.
Source:
Graphic Online
