Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced on Saturday that it had provided 20.4 million baby formula packages, free of charge, during 2021.
In a statement, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said that a medical examination was conducted for the mother through the evaluation committees located in the health units in all governorates to indicate health barriers to breastfeeding.
Moreover, Wael Abdel Razek, the Head of the Healthcare and Nursing Sector at the Health Ministry provided several notes on the importance of breastfeeding for both mother and child, explaining that the early start of breastfeeding after birth increases milk production and helps continue breastfeeding for up to two years.
Abdel Razek noted that breastfeeding positively affects the child’s weight gain and strengthens his immune system, and also affects the child’s intelligence.
He further stressed the importance of breastfeeding without any supplements during the first 6 months of the child’s life.
