Health minister denies remark on breastfeeding workers

Dar es Salaam. The minister for Health, Community Development, gender, Elderly
and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu has distanced herself from remarks that breastfeeding mothers can report at work past 9am.

The minister says her speech during the World Breastfeeding Week was misquoted. Some media outlets published reports that Ms Mwalimu allowed the breastfeedingmother to also leave their offices at 1:30pm for six months after their maternity leave.

A statement issued on Thursday by the head of communications unit in the health ministry, Mr
Nsachris Mwamwaja said the minister never made such remarks, calling on the media to stick to
ethics.

The health minister instead said the government has already put in place various measures in
supporting and promoting optimal and exclusive breastfeeding practices for children, according
to the statement.
However, the statement indicated that the ministry under Employment and Labour Relations
Act­2004, acknowledges that a new mother has the right to breastfeed her child for two hours a
day for the first six months after completing the maternity period.

Furthermore, the minister reiterated that the decision over what time should the breastfeeding
mothers leave their offices would depend on agreement between the employer and her employee.
In addition, the ministry vowed to continue sensitising national prominent leaders including
politicians, religious leaders, associations’ leaders to complement government's efforts to
support breastfeeding practices for children at all levels so as to mitigate micro nutrient
deficiency disorders particularly those caused by vitamin A, Iodine and Iron deficiencies
including food fortification, according to the statement.
This year's world breastfeeding week commemoration, themed "Sustaining Breastfeeding
Together" which started on August 1 will end on August 7