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Korba, August 21 (HS). Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a Vedanta Group company, celebrated World Breastfeeding Week with an awareness campaign aimed at empowering pregnant and lactating women in the community. In line with this year's theme 'Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All', sessions were organized to promote women and child health awareness. On this occasion, under the 'Arogya Project', lactating mothers and pregnant women were introduced to the importance of child nutrition and breastfeeding.
The programme provided awareness on the importance of breast milk in the first 1,000 days of the baby and advanced care techniques like kangaroo care. The campaign also discussed preparing women's bodies before delivery for better health of both mother and child and optimising breastfeeding. More than 500 pregnant and lactating women attended the programme.
The programme concluded with the company honouring and supporting breastfeeding mothers. The campaign highlighted the important role of family, community and healthcare workers in promoting and sustaining breastfeeding practices. The weekly initiative saw active participation of mothers and pregnant women.
Rajesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer and Director, BALCO said that access to quality healthcare is at the core of our vision to build a prosperous community. Through various initiatives, we are committed to providing vital healthcare services and empowering people to live a healthy life, self-reliant future. By supporting maternal and child health, we are promoting the well-being of our community. We are ensuring that every mother and child in the community can live a healthy and prosperous life.
Sharing her experience, Renu Prakash, Women and Child Development Program Officer, Korba said that a child's nutrition is linked to the mother's well-being. In line with the Women and Child Development goals, BALCO's initiative empowers mothers to prioritize their health, ensuring that their children get the nutrition they need. I am confident that the participants will apply these learnings more effectively to care for themselves and their children.
Patharipara beneficiary Regina Linga said that the Kangaroo Care technique from this session has changed my perspective towards motherhood. The Kangaroo Care method taught that keeping your baby close to your body strengthens the bond between mother and child and is also important for the overall development of my child. The guidance received during the session has increased my confidence as a mother, which has helped me to take proper care of my child.
Dedicated to the community, BALCO's Arogya and Nand Ghar initiatives focus on promoting socio-economic development and welfare towards maternal and child health. Arogya provides comprehensive health care services that focus on maternal and child health, malnutrition, anemia and awareness about HIV, TB and de-addiction. Nand Ghar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, enhances pre-school nutrition, education with high-quality curriculum, digital learning tools and improved facilities that have significantly improved children's cognitive development and school attendance.