Afrigather Nairobi – In a concerted effort to strengthen maternal and youngster well being companies throughout Africa, the World Well being Group, in collaboration with the United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF) and the USA Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID), convened a capacity-building workshop focusing on healthcare professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders from ten nations (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe).
The workshop, held from 12 to fifteen February 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya, targeted on enhancing nations’ capabilities to successfully implement the Child-Pleasant Hospital Initiative (BFHI) as an integral element of maternal and new child well being high quality care methods.
The Child-Pleasant Hospital Initiative, established by the World Well being Group (WHO) and the United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF), goals to guard and assist breastfeeding and mother-baby bonding by making certain that maternity services adhere to the Ten Steps to Profitable Breastfeeding.
In response to international proof, implementing the BFHI considerably improves breastfeeding charges and higher youngster well being outcomes. For one factor, early initiation of breastfeeding has confirmed to scale back the chance of toddler mortality and necessary in driving progress towards international vitamin targets – towards stunting, anaemia in girls of reproductive age, low delivery weight, childhood chubby and losing. Nonetheless, BFHI implementation remains to be beneath commonplace. Within the African area, solely 2 out of 42 nations have greater than 50% of births in Child-friendly services. This coupled with the plunging breastfeeding charges worldwide pushed by aggressive advertising of toddler system to moms. It’s towards this backdrop that WHO and companions met in Kenya to speed up nations’ dedication and motion to adapting and institutionalizing the Ten Steps to Profitable Breastfeeding inside nationwide requirements of care, strengthening country-led, complete approaches to elevated entry to expert breastfeeding counselling.
“This capacity-building workshop represents a big milestone in our collective efforts to advance maternal and youngster well being outcomes in Africa,” says Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO consultant from Kenya. He added that by strengthening healthcare professionals’ capability to advertise breastfeeding and implement BFHI, WHO and Companions are laying a strong basis for enhancing new child survival, decreasing childhood morbidity and mortality, and reaching sustainable improvement objectives.”
Key highlights from the capability constructing workshop embody plenary discussions that includes insights from policymakers on overcoming limitations and sustaining momentum in BFHI implementation. International locations enhanced their understanding of the ten steps to profitable breastfeeding in well being services offering maternity and new child companies and its integration into the well being system as a part of the standard of care.
The workshop additionally supplied a platform for members to alternate experiences, share greatest practices, and forge partnerships for collective motion in advancing BFHI implementation throughout WHO AFRO nations.
Christiane Rudert, the Regional Advisor for UNICEF Japanese and Southern Africa, asserts that such capacity-building workshops play a vital position in equipping healthcare practitioners and different stakeholders with the mandatory instruments to supply important assist to infants and moms, significantly from susceptible communities.
“Breastfeeding makes a world of distinction to each mom and youngster. From delivery to six months of age, feeding infants nothing however breastmilk ensures them a meals supply that’s uniquely tailored to their nutrient wants, whereas additionally being secure, clear, wholesome and accessible, irrespective of the place they dwell. Breastfeeding supplies important advantages, together with safety towards infections, optimum progress, and emotional closeness between mom and child. It’s a treasured reward that contributes to the well being and well-being of each infants and moms. In the long run the taking part International locations developed motion plans and took daring commitments to drive BFHI implementation on the nationwide and subnational ranges, with a give attention to monitoring and analysis to trace progress and influence.
Talking on behalf of the Ugandan group on the workshop, Laura Ahumuza Senior Nutritionist and coordinator of Maternal, Toddler and Younger youngster and Adolescent vitamin, MoH says Uganda is hoping to strengthen integration of BFHI implementation throughout the well being sector with shut collaboration with different sector. This contains – nursing, midwifery, reproductive well being, vitamin, and associated sectors.
In the meantime Olivia Timpo, from Ghana, said that Ghana plans to embrace new approaches and confirm well being employee competences for data and ability in dealing with and sustaining breastfeeding. ” We additionally need to have interaction stakeholders and use facilitation of processes to encourage high quality and breastfeeding indicators.”
WHO and UNICEF launched the BFHI greater than three many years in the past to encourage managers and workers working in well being services to supply maternity and new child companies by means of the implementation of the Ten Steps to Profitable Breastfeeding. Over time, WHO has revised the BFHI guideline to incorporate related elements of the Worldwide Code for Advertising and marketing Breast Milk Substitutes. The technique additionally encapsulates key insurance policies and procedures to be carried out in hospitals to advertise and assist breastfeeding.
By such capability strengthening workshop, WHO AFRO reaffirms its dedication to offering ongoing assist, technical help, and sources to facilitate the efficient implementation of BFHI throughout the area.
