According to Moima Briggs-Mensah, the representative for Bong County District #6, breast-feeding is of utmost significance to the development of infants.
In an appearance on Liberia National Television on Wednesday, the lawmaker from Bong County stated that breast milk is beneficial to the health of infants.
According to the Honorable Briggs-Mensah, breast milk provides all of the essential elements in the appropriate amounts. It wards off allergic reactions, illness, and excessive weight gain. It offers protection against conditions such as cancer and diabetes. It is effective in warding against illnesses such as ear infections.
She went on to say that breast milk is easy to digest and does not cause gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, diarrhea, or stomach discomfort. As they become older, children tend to achieve a more healthy weight.
It was just recently that the House of Representatives passed a bill that makes it mandatory for mothers to breastfeed their children for the first six months of their lives. The bill’s proponents stated that the goal of the legislation was to make breastfeeding “a duty and not an option for able mothers.”
Hon. Mensah, who is a powerful advocate for women and children in the 54th Legislature, defended her colleagues for the approval of the measure and stated that she believes it will be to the country’s benefit.
Hon. Mensah added, in her capacity as the Co-Chair of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia, that the primary goal of the bill is to protect and promote breastfeeding, as mothers are inundated with incorrect and biased information through advertising and unsubstantiated health claims. Mensah said this in her capacity as the Hon. Mensah added, in her capacity as the Co-Chair of the Women’s Legislative Caucus of Liberia
She encouraged women all around the country, in both urban and rural areas, to breastfeed their children so that they might have a healthy start in life.
According to a report published by UNICEF, the treatment of children in Liberia who have diarrhea, pneumonia, and type II diabetes in mothers who visit health facilities due to inadequate breastfeeding costs Liberia US$200,000.00 annually. These conditions are caused by a lack of adequate breastfeeding in the mothers themselves.
