FCTA REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, INTENSIFIES BREASTFEEDING AND DISEASE SURVEILLANCE CAMPAIGNS

By:  Vivian Adewoye Reginald Uhegbu and Khadijat Kawunda

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving maternal and child health through intensified promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, stronger community engagement and enhanced infectious disease surveillance across the Territory.

The commitment was reiterated on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, during a press conference to commemorate the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week and a Town Hall Meeting on Infectious Disease Prevention, held at the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Conference Hall in Abuja.

The event brought together government officials, development partners, the World Health Organization (WHO), donor agencies, healthcare professionals, traditional and religious leaders, community representatives and other stakeholders to promote improved child nutrition and stronger public health systems.

Breastfeeding as a Life-Saving Intervention

Speaking at the event, the Mandate Secretary, FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (FCT-HSES), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, described breastfeeding as one of the safest, most affordable and most effective life-saving health interventions available.

She said the annual World Breastfeeding Week, observed from August 1 to 7, provides an important opportunity to strengthen proven interventions that improve maternal and child health outcomes.

According to her, this year’s theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” calls for renewed investment in evidence-based programmes, policies and community structures that have demonstrated their effectiveness.

Dr. Fasawe stressed that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life before the introduction of appropriate complementary foods.

She explained that exclusive breastfeeding provides babies with essential nutrients required for healthy growth and development while strengthening immunity and reducing the risk of childhood illnesses, including diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Beyond its benefits to children, she noted that breastfeeding also benefits mothers by reducing the risk of certain illnesses, including breast and ovarian cancers, while supporting healthy birth spacing.

She further pointed out that breastfeeding has economic and environmental benefits because it reduces household healthcare expenses, eliminates the need for infant formula, and contributes to reduced waste associated with artificial feeding.

FCT Worried Over Low Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate

Despite the recognised benefits, the Mandate Secretary expressed concern over the relatively low rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the FCT.

Citing findings from the 2023 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Dr. Fasawe said the Territory recorded a 16 per cent stunting rate, 13.7 per cent underweight prevalence and a 7 per cent wasting rate, while only 29.1 per cent of mothers practised exclusive breastfeeding.

She said the figures demonstrate the need for targeted investments, sustained public education and coordinated action to improve maternal and child nutrition.

To address the challenge, she disclosed that the FCT Administration is promoting the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers and expanding community support structures for breastfeeding mothers.

Dr. Fasawe also appealed to employers across the FCT to establish breastfeeding-friendly workplaces by providing safe, private and comfortable spaces where nursing mothers can breastfeed or express and store breast milk.

She stressed that improving breastfeeding rates would require more than government intervention, noting that families, employers, communities, religious institutions, healthcare workers and the media all have important roles to play.

Community Leaders Urged to Champion Breastfeeding

In his welcome remarks, the Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Dan Gadzama, called on traditional, religious and community leaders to become advocates for exclusive breastfeeding within their communities.

He explained that the 2026 campaign would focus on building on existing local successes through community outreach, food demonstrations and support initiatives at healthcare facilities across the six Area Councils.

Dr. Gadzama reiterated that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months without water, food or other additives, stressing that inadequate breastfeeding can increase children’s vulnerability to infections and malnutrition.

He also urged residents to adopt preventive measures against infectious diseases, particularly cholera, through proper hygiene, safe water, improved sanitation and appropriate food handling.

He called for proper food storage, rodent control and prompt reporting of suspected cases of Lassa fever to health authorities.

FCTA Steps Up Infectious Disease Surveillance

Turning to infectious disease prevention, Dr. Fasawe disclosed that the FCT currently has no confirmed cases of Lassa fever or human Mpox.

She, however, said surveillance teams remained vigilant and were conducting routine bat sampling in identified locations to detect potential viral threats before they spill over into human populations.

She also disclosed that the Public Health Department remained on heightened alert following a recent fatal rabies case recorded in the Territory, while investigations into suspected diphtheria cases were ongoing.

Health facilities across the FCT are also closely monitoring suspected cholera cases, she added.

Dr. Fasawe emphasised that effective disease prevention requires strong collaboration between government, health workers, communities and other stakeholders.

No Immediate Threat of Outbreak, FCTA Assures Residents

The Director of the FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Teresa Nwachukwu, reassured residents that there was currently no immediate threat of an infectious disease outbreak in the Territory.

She nevertheless stressed that the absence of an outbreak did not mean health authorities could afford to relax their surveillance efforts.

According to her, the Administration is continuously strengthening disease surveillance and emergency response systems to ensure that suspected cases are identified, investigated and managed promptly.

She called for closer collaboration among government agencies, development partners, communities and the media, particularly in promoting accurate health information and countering misinformation.

Dr. Nwachukwu urged residents to maintain good sanitation, report unusual illnesses promptly and ensure that children and pregnant women receive all recommended vaccinations.

WHO Commends Surveillance Efforts

The WHO FCT State Coordinator, Dr. Jibrin Alkasim Musa, said disease surveillance activities in the Territory were progressing satisfactorily, particularly Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance, which remains critical to Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts.

He explained that the town hall meeting was designed to increase public awareness of communicable diseases while encouraging residents to adopt preventive health practices.

Dr. Musa assured residents that suspected cases are promptly investigated and that stool samples are collected and tested where necessary as part of efforts to detect and prevent poliovirus transmission.

He added that appropriate public health interventions are implemented whenever necessary to contain potential threats and prevent infectious disease outbreaks.

Ghali Commends FCTA Health Initiatives

Also speaking at the event, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ghali Kassim, commended Dr. Fasawe for her leadership in advancing health programmes across the FCT.

He recalled that the FCT was recognised at the 2025 National Council on Health as one of Nigeria’s best-performing health jurisdictions.

Dr. Kassim also highlighted the Administration’s free medical outreaches, clean-energy initiatives and public health campaigns under the leadership of the FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

He said the recognition reflected the importance of sustained investment in healthcare delivery and community-based interventions.

The Bigger Picture

The FCTA’s renewed focus on breastfeeding and infectious disease surveillance highlights two closely connected priorities: preventing illness before it happens and strengthening the health of children from the earliest stages of life.

With exclusive breastfeeding rates still below desired levels and infectious diseases continuing to pose potential threats, health authorities are calling for a whole-of-community approach.

For the FCT Administration, the message is clear: government cannot do it alone.

Employers must create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces. Communities must support nursing mothers. Religious and traditional leaders must promote healthy practices. Health workers must remain vigilant. Residents must report suspected illnesses promptly.

And, perhaps most importantly, proven health interventions must not be abandoned simply because they are familiar.

As the theme of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week reminds stakeholders, the task is to strengthen what works — while ensuring that every mother, child and family in the FCT has the support needed to live a healthier life.