Table 4 Summary of the Key Informant Interviews on the determinants of exclusive breastfeeding
Enablers of EBF | Barriers to EBF | Healthcare providers suggestions on improving EBF practices |
|---|---|---|
• High knowledge on EBF • Maternal positive attitude towards exclusive breastfeeding. • Breastfeeding counselling provided at the health facilities and • Supportive husband/spouse • Religious reasons | ▪ Negative influence of TBAs ▪ Influence by family/friends and especially grandparents and in-laws ▪ Lack of adequate support from healthcare providers ▪ Negative cultural factors ▪ Lack of support from the fathers/husbands ▪ Peer pressure ▪ Health care providers constraints and shortages | ▪ Building skills and capacity of the TBAs and linking them to the health facilities. ▪ Improving capacity of healthcare providers & institutions. ▪ Increasing the number of nurses in the health facilities. ▪ Enforcing the BFHI’s in both the public and private hospitals. ▪ Training and empowering breastfeeding support groups ▪ Training and empowering breastfeeding volunteers and linking them to the health facilities |