World Breastfeeding Costing Initiative (WBCi)

• Breastfeeding has been recognized as the most important intervention for child survival and optimal growth and development.

• However, throughout the world, optimal breastfeeding rates are abysmally low, stagnating for over a decade, because of the lack of the enabling environment where women can practice optimal breastfeeding successfully

WBCi

• Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding is not free. It costs money.

• As the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) analysis of the implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding shows, very few of the 51 countries that conducted the assessment could implement all the strategies.

• The primary obstacle was lack of adequate resources, especially financial resources.

WBCi

• The few estimates existing consider only some aspects of promotion, even though there is evidence that several actions, including effectively enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and Maternity Protection need to be taken concurrently if breastfeeding rates have to improve.

WBCi

• In 2012, International Baby Food Action Network Asia (IBFAN Asia) took on the challenge of trying to estimate the minimal cost of implementing the Global Strategy in its entirety through the World Breastfeeding Costing Initiative (WBCi).

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WBCi

The WBCi has two components –

The Need to Invest in Babies

The Financial Planning Tool

WBCi

WBCi

Supported by:

The Need to Invest in BabiesThis advocacy document gives the rationale behind the need to invest in breastfeeding, what interventions to invest in as a priority, and anestimate of the global costs of universalizing the enabling environment where women can successfully breastfeed optimally. Interventions that have been costed include:

Development of policies and plans, coordination;

Health and nutrition care system: This has two components - BFHI and the training of health workers;

Community services and mother support; Media promotion; Maternity Protection; Implementing the International Code of

Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; and Monitoring and research.

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The Current Estimates

Behavior change interventions• Breastfeeding promotion and support• CF promotion• Hand washing with soap and promotion of hygiene behaviors

US$2.9 billion15 USD/Per household in 36 high burden countries

Reflects only “Behaviour change interventions to promote breastfeeding.”

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Action Area IBFAN estimates USD in billions (214 countries)

One Time Cost 2.08 billion

• IYCF policy devp & review 0.004

• International Code drafting and legislative proccess 0.479

• Trainings• HW• Community support• Code implementation

1.599

Annual Cost 15.48 billion

• BFHI Implementation 2.01

• Media Promotion 0.722

• Monitoring 0.081

• Maternity Entitlement 12.6

Total 17.56 billion

How Much to Invest

• Recognizing that countries are at different stages in implementing the Global Strategy, as well as the wide variance in salaries, infrastructure costs, etc., IBFAN Asia also developed the WBCi Financial Planning Tool to assist countries plan and budget for protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding.

• It follows the principles and structure of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi)

The Financial Planning Tool

• The tool is excel based, flexible, user friendly and countries can easily customize it to meet their needs and generate annual as well as multi year estimates for IYCF

• It is intended for programme managers and partners to initiate advocacy with national govt. and donors

• It will assist planners, MCH/nutrition coordinators, public health practitioners, and finance personnel in developing budget

The Financial Planning Tool

WBTi assessment completed

Identify Gaps

Develop Plan of action

WBCi

WBTi and WBCiPolicy & Programme Indicators (indicator 1-10)

1. National Policy, Programme and Coordination

2. Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (Ten steps to

successful breastfeeding)

3. Implementation of the International Code of

Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes

4. Maternity Protection

5. Health and Nutrition Care Systems (in support of

breastfeeding & IYCF)

6. Mother Support and Community Outreach -

Community-based Support for the pregnant and

breastfeeding mother

7. Information Support

8. Infant Feeding and HIV

9. Infant Feeding during Emergencies

10. Mechanisms of Monitoring and Evaluation

System

The report has been launched worldwide

1. INDIA 

2. CANADA

3. MEXICO

4. COLOMBIA

5. COSTA RICA

6. GUATEMALA 

7. BANGLADESH

8. NEPAL 

9. AUSTRALIA

10. INDONESIA

11. EGYPT

12.AFGHANISTAN

Plan to introduce / use of tool in 20 more countries in 2014

Worldwide launch and action

In March 2014, in India, at a regional workshop, 7 countries made use of the financial planning tool and found this to be truly useful. There were total of 23 participants from 5 governments and 2 civil society groups.

Lessons learnt South Asia Workshop

Dr. Hedayetul Islam Director IPHN, and Line Director National Nutrition Services Institute of Public Health Nutrition, Dhaka Bangladesh said “It is an innovative tool I have seen and so easy to operate …we can make use in doing budgeting of IYCF activities, thank you IBFAN”

Dr.Homayoun Ludin of MOH Afghanistan “The tool is very user-friendly and we have made use of this to make plans and given to donors.”

Dr.Mohammed Saeed retired MOH , Maldives said “It is excellent tool, easy to use and user friendly. It generates automatic IYCF estimate budget. Application can be used for planning, calculating and monitoring IYCF activities at all levels.” Dr.Sila Deb, Deputy Commissioner (Child

Health), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India said “It’s very easy and flexible to calculate budgets. It can be standardized software and can be very useful in planning for program implementation plan (PIP).”

• The Financial Tool with the filename WBCi_Release_1.1 can be downloaded at http://ibfan.org/upload/files/WBCi_Releases_1.1.XLSM or copied from any Usb or CD that contains the programme file.

• Please note that for the programme to open, the Excel 2007 programme should be set at “ENABLE MACROS”.

DOWNLOADING, SAVING AND OPENING THE FINANCIAL TOOL

Thank you