Media Workshop Highlights onInvest in Breastfeeding, Invest in Future
Bhubaneswar : Investing in our children focuses on strengthening support for breastfeeding. As the State celebrates World Breastfeeding Week 2025 from August 1 to August 7, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) Department, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with UNICEF, reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing a healthier generation by organizing a Media Workshop at its Conference Hall on Thursday. The workshop aimed to highlight the importance of breastfeeding and advocate for stronger support systems to promote optimal breastfeeding practices across the state, with this year’s theme, “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems/Invest in Breastfeeding, Invest in Future,” emphasizing the need for collective action by families, communities, and policymakers to ensure every child receives the best start to life.
Emphasizing the importance of this year’s theme—Invest in Breastfeeding, Invest in Future—Dr. Rajyashree Pattnaik, Director of the Directorate of Family Welfare, Odisha, said, “Our Department is actively creating an enabling environment for mothers through stronger counseling services and community awareness programs, ensuring mothers get accurate information, timely guidance, and emotional support to continue breastfeeding.”
“Prioritizing breastfeeding today isn’t just a health decision; it’s a vital investment in a healthier, stronger future for our children and generations to come.” She stated.
Addressing the media, Mr. Sourav Bhattacharjee, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF, Bhubaneswar, shed light on the global and state-level strategies for creating sustainable breastfeeding support systems. “Breastfeeding is not just a personal choice; it’s a societal responsibility. Creating sustainable support systems from maternity protection to counselling and community awareness is crucial to help mothers overcome barriers and provide the best nutrition for their babies,” he emphasized.
Odisha has shown remarkable progress in breastfeeding practices. According to NFHS-5, 68.5% of infants in Odisha are breastfed within the first hour of birth—much higher than the national average of 41.8%. Similarly, 72.9% of children under six months are exclusively breastfed in the state, compared to 63.7% nationally.
The workshop also featured an insightful talk by the Additional Director, Child Health Dr Aditya Mohapatra elaborated on the lifelong health benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child. He said, “Breastfeeding acts as the first vaccine for a child, protecting them from infections and ensuring healthy growth. It also benefits mothers by reducing riskof certain diseases. Our focus should be on continuous awareness and building an environment that makes breastfeeding the norm.”
Dr Smrutijit Patnaik, Joint Director, Nutrition, highlighted the department’s comprehensive approach: “We’re focusing on continuous training for service providers and actively discouraging infant milk substitute use by facilitating BFHI assessments for hospitals and health centers. We’re also building mother support groups to connect and aid breastfeeding mothers in their communities.”
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by the Joint Director, Nutrition, followed by an interactive Q&A where media professionals discussed strategies for effective public messaging and awareness.
