WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK 1 – 7 AUGUST 2013

BY: SAPAM LINDA

MSc. Nurse (OBG)

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by WHO and UNICEF policy-makers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

WORLD ALLIANCE FOR BREASTFEEDING ACTION (WABA)

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed on 14 February, 1991. WABA is a global network of organizations and individuals who believe breastfeeding is the right of all children and mothers and who dedicate themselves to protect, promote and support this right. WABA acts on the Innocenti Declaration and works in close liaison with UNICEF.

VISION A world where breastfeeding is the

cultural norm, where mothers and families are enabled to feed and care optimally for their infants and young children thus contributing to a just and healthy society.

MISSION To protect, promote and support breast-

feeding worldwide in the framework of the Innocenti Declarations (1990 and 2005) and the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding through networking and facilitating collaborative efforts in social mobilisation, advocacy, information dissemi- nation and capacity building.

GOAL

To foster a strong and cohesive breastfeeding movement, which will act on the various international instruments to create an enabling environment for mothers, thus contributing to increasing optimal breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding practices.

FUNDING POLICY WABA does not accept funds or gifts from

manufacturers or distributors of breast milk substitutes, related equipment such as feeding bottles and teats, commercial foods for breastfeeding mothers, or commercial complementary foods. It also does not accept funds or gifts from manufacturers of other products commonly used in infant feeding such as breast pumps and encourages WABA endorsers to adopt the same ethical stance.

1992 Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)

1993 Mother-Friendly Workplace Initiative (MFWI)

1994 Protect Breastfeeding: Making the Code Work

1995 Breastfeeding: Empowering Women

1996 Breastfeeding: A Community Responsibility

1997 Breastfeeding: Nature's Way

THEMES OF WABA IN VARIOUS YEARS

1998 Breastfeeding: The Best Investment

1999 Breastfeeding: Education for Life

2000 Breastfeeding: It's Your Right

2001 Breastfeeding in the Information Age

2002 Breastfeeding: Healthy Mothers and Healthy

Babies

2003 Breastfeeding in a Globalised World

............for Peace and Justice

2004 Exclusive Breastfeeding: the Gold Standard -

............Safe, Sound, Sustainable

2005 Breastfeeding and Family Foods: Loving & Healthy -

............Feeding Other Foods While Breastfeeding is Continued

2006 Code Watch - 25 Years of Protecting Breastfeeding

2007 Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour - Save ONE million babies!

2008 Mother Support: Going for the Gold Everyone Wins! ............

2009 Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response ............

2010 Breastfeeding, Just 10 Steps! -

............The baby friendly way

2011 Talk To Me! Breastfeeding -

............A 3D Experience

2012 Understanding the Past…… Planning the Future

THEME OF THIS YEAR

1. To draw attention to the importance of Peer Support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding.

2. To inform people of the highly effective benefits of Peer Counselling, and unite efforts to expand peer counselling programmes.

3. To encourage breastfeeding supporters, regardless of thei r educat ional background, to step forward and be trained to support mothers and babies.

4. To identify local community support contacts for breastfeeding mothers, that women can go to for help and support after giving birth.

5. To call on governments and maternity facilities globally to actively implement the Ten Steps, in particular Step 10, to improve duration and rates of exclusive breastfeeding.

WBW 2013 OBJECTIVES

CIRCLE FOR BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT

SUPPORT for breastfeeding illustrate the potential influences on a mother's decision to breastfeed and to have a positive breastfeeding experience. Previously featured during World Breastfeeding Week 2008, the Circles of Support continue to be a vital foundation for mothers to breastfeed their babies, and more. The CIRCLES OF SUPPORT are: Family and Social Network, Healthcare, Workplace and Employment, Government/ Legislation and Response to Crisis or Emergency, all surrounding women in the center circle.

WOMEN IN THE CENTER CIRCLE: Women are in the center because the presence or absence of support impacts them directly. Women also have an important role in securing support and in providing it to others. Within the Global Initiative for Mother Support (GIMS) for Breastfeeding Statement (2007) we noted, 'Mothers are considered active participants in the support dynamic, being both providers and recipients of information and support'.

FAMILY AND SOCIAL NETWORK:Husbands/partners/fathers, family and friends compose the mother's immediate and continuous support network. Social support includes community support - at the market place, within a religious context, at a neighbourhood park, etc. Support during pregnancy reduces stress. Support during labour and birth empowers the mother. Societal support increases the mother's confidence in her ability to breastfeed beyond the early weeks and months.

HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS:This includes a multitude of opportunities to support breast feeding. These opportunities range from mother friendly prenatal care and supportive labor and delivery services to postpartum and postnatal care that facilitates bonding and optimal infant feeding. Health workers trained in counselling skills support mothers before and after birth.

WORKPLACE AND EMPLOYMENT:Employed women face challenges and need support to succeed at working and breastfeeding. The opportunities for mother support are as varied as the work women do, but usually involve facili-tating mother-baby contact or expression and storage of breast milk.

GOVERNMENT/LEGISLATION:Women who plan to breastfeed or who are already breastfeeding benefit from the support of international documents, protections for optimal infant feeding, plus active and well funded national commissions. Legislation that combats aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes and enacts paid maternity leave also benefits breastfeeding women.

RESPONSE TO CRISIS OR EMERGENCY:This CIRCLE OF SUPPORT represents the need for support IF a woman finds herself in an unexpected and / or serious situation, with little control. Situations that require special planning and support are: natural disasters, refugee camps, divorce proceedings, critical illness of mother or baby, or living in an area of high HIV/AIDS prevalence with no support for breastfeeding.