By Ruth Serwaah Asare
As Ghana joins the global community to mark World Breastfeeding Week, celebrated from August 1 to 7, a strong call has been made to prioritize and invest in breastfeeding as a smart, sustainable, and life changing intervention for both mother and child.
Public Health Nurse and Health Directorate official, Dr. Gloria Chandi, speaking on GBC Uniiq FM’s Woman to Woman programme on August 6,2025, emphasized that breastfeeding is not just an act of nurturing but a powerful foundation for lifelong health and national development.
“God, in His own wisdom, gave women breast milk the most authentic food a baby can ever get,” she said. “It’s not something you can buy. It’s personalized nutrition tailored for your baby’s brain, skin, immunity, and growth.”
Under this year’s theme, “Invest in Breastfeeding, Invest in the Future,” Dr. Chandi highlighted the life saving benefits of immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, explaining that it should begin within 30 minutes after birth unless medically impossible.
She noted that while some mothers may experience delayed milk flow due to stress or health complications, a positive mindset, proper diet, and simple techniques like warm compresses on the breast can stimulate production. “Sometimes, it’s not that the milk isn’t there it’s the mind. If the mother is in pain or anxious, the body won’t support her. But once she decides, ‘I am breastfeeding’, the milk begins to flow,” Dr. Chandi explained.
She underscored that the first form of breast milk known as colostrum, produced within the first five days, serves as the baby’s first immunization, providing protective antibodies and lining the intestines against infections.
Dr. Chandi also used the acronym BREASTFEEDING to outline its wide ranging benefits:
- B – Best and authentic food
- R – Ready anytime
- E – Economical
- A – Always available
- S – Safe
- T – Temperature-perfect
- F – Formulated by nature
- E – Easy to digest
- E – Easy to produce
- D – Dense with nutrients
- I – Improved naturally
- N – No disease transmission
- G – Good for the nation
Beyond the biological benefits, she highlighted how exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months not only boosts the baby’s immunity and development but also serves as a natural contraceptive for the mother during that period.
Despite the known benefits, many Ghanaian mothers face barriers to effective breastfeeding, especially working mothers.“Mothers are forced to leave their infants at home too early. That separation creates anxiety and inconsistency in breastfeeding,” she lamented. “We must advocate for workplace policies that allow nursing breaks and breastfeeding rooms.”
She encouraged employers to set up nursing corners in workplaces and for fathers to get actively involved in supporting breastfeeding by helping store and feed expressed breast milk.
Dr. Chandi also addressed common myths, including the outdated idea that breastfed babies need water. “Breast milk is over 87% water. Babies don’t need additional water at all,” she stressed.
For mothers who express milk while away from home, Dr. Chandi advised using airtight containers to store milk at room temperature for up to 8 hours or in a refrigerator (not freezer) for extended freshness. She cautioned against using feeding bottles, which could cause “nipple confusion,” and instead recommended using cup and spoon feeding for expressed milk. “Breastfeeding is clean, smoke-free, waste-free, and cost-free. You don’t need gas, bottles, tins, or excuses,” she asserted. “It’s time we stop allowing cultural myths and modern distractions to rob our babies of their best start in life.”
Dr. Chandi concluded by urging health facilities, families, communities, and the state to collectively invest in breastfeeding support, from antenatal education to workplace accommodation and postnatal care. “If we want a healthy future, we must start with breastfeeding. It saves lives, builds brains, protects mothers, and strengthens the nation.”
As Ghana celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2025, the message is clear: Investing in breastfeeding is not just a mother’s responsibility it’s everyone’s business.
