Role of prayer leaders, media vital to promote breastfeeding in country, says President Alvi.

ISLAMABAD -- President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday underscored the role of prayer leaders and media to promote breastfeeding in Pakistan for healthier future generations by preventing the children from stunting and other communicable diseases.

Addressing an advocacy seminar on protection and promotion of breastfeeding here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Dr. Alvi said that breastfeeding was the most cost-effective intervention for children's healthier growth.

The president said that the role of prayer leaders, media and lady health workers was vital for greater dissemination of awareness messages as they had better access to society.

Starting with the recitation of Quranic verses stressing breastfeeding for 24 to 30 months, the seminar also featured a video documentary to highlight the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for at least initial six months and dispelling misconceptions about it.

The President said that in Pakistan, almost 50 per cent of the children were not breastfed by the mothers which was quite unfortunate particularly for a Muslim country like Pakistan as both Quran and scientific research strongly advocated for mother's milk with no substitute of it.

Clarifying a misconception about the yellowish colostrum (first form of milk produced immediately after delivery of the new-born), the President said that instead of wasting, it must be fed to new-born for it being full of antibodies and nutrients.

He said that from the very first day of assuming the office, Prime Minister Imran Khan took up the issue of...

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