«Petro was born at Tosamaganga Hospital last April. Delivery occurred by natural means, but the baby needed oxygen therapy. So, he was admitted to the neonatology ward, where he received all necessary treatment. Due to breathing difficulties, during the early days of hospitalization, the baby was not able to breastfeed. On the fourth day, Petro got better and, as customary in the ward, we asked the mother to squeeze milk from the breast for her baby. However, only then the woman told us that she was never even able to breastfeed her previous children, who passed away within a few months of birth. Given the exceptional situation, we decided to help the mother and her baby, offering them formula», explains Martina Borelli, Doctors with Africa CUAMM’s paediatrician in Tanzania.
From January to July 2022, in the neonatology ward of Tosamaganga, 300 children have been admitted. Petro is one of them, the only one discharged with formula. Hospitalized children, in fact, receive breast milk as soon as possible and mothers are educated by local staff on the importance of breastfeeding, for themselves and for their baby. All over the world, particularly in low-to-middle income countries such as Tanzania, breast milk is an essential food, not only because of its singular nutritional properties, but also for its financial sustainability. Not being able to guarantee it puts the lives of the most fragile at risk, as the story of Petro’s two little brothers shows.
Today more than ever, breast milk becomes the best defence against malnutrition for African children: the rise in the cost of living and basic necessities, tangible consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine, causes exponential growth in cases of children with severe acute malnutrition. Without taking into account the sanitary and economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Tanzania, only 59% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed. Sometimes mothers tend to feed babies too early with solid foods that can cause permanent damage at such an early age. CUAMM’s commitment to awareness raising activities on the topic of breastfeeding is ongoing. With the support of professionals trained in health centers and through home visits, efforts are made to educate about proper nutrition for one’s baby, which always begins with breast milk.
«Petro is now 4 months old, – concludes Martina – he grows and is doing well. His mother comes back regularly to Tosamaganga Hospital for check-ups and CUAMM staff continues to support the family. The story of this child, one in three hundred, further emphasize the need, at a global level, to protect and promote breastfeeding, the foundation for an equal and sustainable development».
