According to Dr. Jasent Asiimwe, the head of nutrition at the health ministry, statistics show that 53% of mothers in Uganda breast feed their babies in the first hour of birth and yet the global target is at least 80%.

A mother breastfeeding her child in Uganda.

He also revealed that whereas children are supposed to be breastfed for at least 2 years after birth, only 48% of children are breastfed for that period across the country.

The experts were speaking during an event commemoration of the World Breastfeeding Week which is annually celebrated globally in the first week of August as a way of advocating and creating awareness about the need for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children for six months so that they can gain immunity to fight common illnesses especially among children under 5 years.

However, the head of community health department at the ministry, Dr. Paul Kaggwa and UNICEF’s Specialist on nutrition, Awi Omega, urged men to always support their women during breast feeding period by providing them with better nutritious foods.

The World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share.

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Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga.

Kadaga who was speaking with ministry of health officials at parliament said the current labour law does not give mothers enough time to exclusively breastfeed their new borns.The ministry of health officials had paid a courtesy call to the Parliamentary Baby Care Center as one of the activities in commemoration of the Word Exclusive Breastfeeding Day held annually in the first week of August.

The current law allows mothers a 3 months paid leave with fathers also taking 4 days off working to welcome a new born or deal with an aftermath tragedy in case the baby dies.

“World health organization recommends that a baby is supposed to be breastfed exclusively for six months. During this period, a mother needs a lot of rest and a healthy diet so that she can give the best milk to her child to grow healthy. As the parliamentary health committee, you need to double efforts in advocating for an increase of these days ,” Kadaga said.

Dr.Jacent Asiimwe, the head of the nutrition program in the ministry of health, who proposed for the amendments, says the 60 working days that are given to mothers are inadequate given that the recommended time is six months. He said that it is at such a time that a baby exclusively breast feed appropriately.

Assimwe appealed to parliament to make amendments that will see the leaves days increased to 90 working days for mothers while fathers also be increased from the current 4 to 7 days after birth of a new born in a family.

Upon this recommendation, Kadaga tasked Dr. Micheal Bukenya, the chairperson of the health committee and MP for Bukuya County in Mubende district working with team to embark on collecting opinions that will determine if this amendment can be made possible.
What does the law say about work and parents?

The current labour laws in Uganda make certain mention of family related issues. However, existing provisions in the law do not adequately address the issue of working parents. For instance, the law states that working pregnant women are entitled to 60 working days of paid leave, but it does not explain how pregnant mothers should be treated while they have not yet taken their leave or after returning when they have given birth, except that they should be allowed to continue with their work.

The current labour laws in Uganda have no specific provisions for child care. However, some employers for example Parliament do provide child care services, including breastfeeding rooms. Some employers also support children through provision of transport to school or payment of schools.

Some collective bargaining agreements like those in the flower sector also provide other additional support like meals for the child and the working mother.

Cecilia Ogwal, the Dokolo Woman Member of Parliament, however, says whereas the baby care center at parliament is a good step in ensuring that MP mothers can breastfeed their children in a good environment, the center should as well be open for male MPs who might have wives similarly with busy work schedules with no time to look after their babies.

She says this will bring about a shared responsibility among the husband and wife in the upbringing and bonding with the child.

What does the law say about paternity leave?

The law states that in case of child birth or miscarriage of a spouse, a male worker is entitled to four working days of paid paternity leave immediately after the child birth or miscarriage. The male employee however has the obligation to request the leave from his employer. He is free to return to work without any conditions after the expiry of the leave period.

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