The Enugu State Government on Tuesday said nursing mothers in the state civil service would henceforth enjoy six months maternity leave.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Sam Ngwu, made this known at a media briefing to outline activities to mark the 2015 World Breastfeeding Week in Enugu.
He said the state government had also approved three weeks leave for men in the state service whose wives put to bed.
The approval is contained in the Revised State Public Service Rules as applicable in the state.
Ngwu said the gesture was to give nursing mothers ample time to look after their newborn and enable them to breastfeed exclusively for the duration.
The three weeks leave approved for fathers, Ngwu said, was to enable them to give adequate assistance to their wives during the period.
The permanent secretary said that the extension of the maternity leave would later extend to workers in the private sector.
“By the time the labour law is strengthened, it will be binding on the private sector,” he added.
He noted that the low indices recorded by the state in exclusive breastfeeding was worrisome, saying that government would do all it could to ensure that the statistics improved.
Ngwu also said it was crucial that all newborn were breastfed exclusively for six months, adding, however, that latest global research now support feeding the baby with nutritional complements after four months.
“Latest global research though not yet accepted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has it that the energy from breastmilk will no longer be enough to sustain the baby after four months.
“So, babies must be fed exclusively at least for four months to make them develop anti-bodies for disease resistance,” he said.
Ngwu appealed to chairmen of local government councils to key into the health care system of the state and ensure that workers under them were catered for.
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