The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Integrated Youth Needs and Welfare (INTYON) have been lauded for improving healthcare delivery in the some communities in the Bongo District, Mothers in the area lauded UNICEF and NTYON for improving healthcare delivery through the Mother Baby Friendly Health Initiative (MBFHI) project.

The MBFHI project which aims at promoting early breastfeeding within 30 minutes after birth promoting exclusive breastfeeding and ensuring the wellbeing of lactating mothers and their babies, is a two year project being implemented by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the INTYON.

The project, which had funding support from UNICEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation over two years, had been piloted in the Bolgatanga and Bawku Municipalities, and the Bongo and Kassena-Nankana West Districts in the Upper East Region.

It promotes skill delivery and encourages pregnant women to visit the health facilities regularly in order to prevent maternal mortality and complications associated with lactating mothers is being implemented in 100 out 142 communities in the Bongo District.

The women made the commendation when staff of the UNICEF, INTYON and GHS interacted with some beneficiaries at Adaboya, a community in the Bongo District.

Speaking on behalf of her fellow beneficiaries, Madam Matilda Mardi Apugbire, said before the intervention, pregnant women used to give birth at home and experienced many complications but the project encouraged them to go to health facilities to be delivered by qualified midwives.

She said the children who were exclusively breastfed were stronger and healthier than those who were fed other foods in addition to breast milk before the age of six months.

The knowledge acquired from the new project had broken some cultural barriers and beliefs that used to hinder exclusive breastfeeding and this further improved their well being as lactating mothers.

Dr Stefan Peterson, the Associate Director, Health Programme Division of the United Nations Children’s Fund, who gave a personal experience, said his seven year old girl was exclusively breastfed for six months and was further breastfed alongside food for three years.

He said that had made his daughter healthier, stronger and knowledgeable and therefore urged those who had adopted the practice to continue with it and testify to their colleagues to improve the wellbeing of children in the area.

Dr Peterson advised men to always accompany their pregnant wives to the health facilities and support in anything they do to responsibly raise their children to fit well into society. According to statistics at the Bongo District Health Directorate, as result of the MBFHI intervention the district has so far not recorded maternal mortality this year, 2018.