Bihar, 01 September 2008:
A state-wide campaign to promote early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding was launched amidst much fanfare in Patna, the capital of the Bihar state, during the World Breastfeeding Week.
Ministers and senior officials from the state government, UNICEF and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Norway, a major donor nation, were among the important dignitaries at the launch.
Addressing a gathering of thousands of women, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to work with partners to ensure that women receive the necessary knowledge to give their children the right start in life.
UNICEF Deputy Country Representative Kunihiko Chris Hirabayashi emphasized that with 25 per cent of all infant deaths across the world occurring in India, the country accounts for the single highest share globally. “The world will not be able to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals unless the scenario changes rapidly in India,” he said, adding “We are happy that Bihar has made rapid advances in the development sector over the last couple of years and welcome the new initiatives.”
“We are confident that the successful implementation of this campaign will reduce the number of infant deaths in the state by about 20 percent. I call upon UNICEF to continue providing technical support and carry out monitoring and evaluation of this programme,” Bihar Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav added.
A historically backward state, Bihar contributes about 9.9 percent to the national burden of infant deaths in India with 158,000 infant deaths occurring annually. Malnutrition in Bihar is also a serious concern with more than half the children below three years found to be underweight according to a nationwide survey done in 2005-06.
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