Spread awareness on the importance of breastfeeding: UNICEF holds social media communicators’ meet
Senior Correspondent
NewsBits.in
BHOPAL: Speaking at a social media communicators’ meet organised at UNICEF office, Madhya Pradesh, the state minister for health and family welfare, Narendra Shivaji Patel said that mother’s milk is like a human vaccine and it is important to spread awareness on the issue of breastfeeding.
Around 65 social media influencers participated in the meet held ahead of the World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7).
Dr Himani Yadav, Deputy Director, Child Health at National Health Mission, spoke on the importance of the breastfeeding and efforts of the state government to promote breastfeeding. She encouraged social media influencers to look at the efforts on ground and help by promoting the issue.
Anil Gulati, Communication Specialist, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh said that this meet is important particularly to create awareness on a very key issue. He urged social media influencers to help spread the message and use opportunity of World Breastfeeding Week to make more social media content in simple language so that people become aware of the importance of the practice.
Pushpa Awasthy, Nutrition Specialist UNICEF Madhya Pradesh made a presentation on the need and importance of breastfeeding and about infant and young child feeding practices and how it helps in development of the child.
Dr Sheela Bhambhal, Senior Pediatrician, answered queries from social media influencers on various challenges they see, the ‘do's and dont's’ and why it is important to say no to infant formulae available in the market. She added that we need to engage men in this movement.
Dr Prashant Kumar, Health Specialist, UNICEF, welcomed the minister at the UNICEF office and answered queries from the participants.
Neha Bagga, who was present at the meet and she said that together with power of social media we can reach out to larger section of the society to make a difference for children.
Social media influencers like Pallavi Agarwal, Abhivyakti Dixit. Siddarth Jain, Anandi, Pinky Tiwari, representative of Impact4Nutrition and Dean Jagran Lake City University Prof Diwakar Shukla, Jyoti Dubey, Drishti Gupta, Sufiya Chouhan, Kushi Thakur, and others were present at the meet.