22
The Standard July 31 to August 6 2016
World Breast Feeding Week 2016 A key to sustainable development
C
URRENTLY Zimbabwe is among other southern African countries experiencing a serious drought emergency. This strongly justifies the need for breastfeeding to be promoted and protected to ensure all infants and young children are breastfed and protected from hunger. Activities: In line with this year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme, ‘A key to Sustainable Development’ Zimbabwe will implement activities to promote successful breastfeeding among young and elderly mothers. This will be done through community mobile breastfeeding support clinics, home visits and WhatsApp support video by community workers and community based CSOs. The ministry will embark on an intervention which involves informing various population groups on the role of breastfeeding in sustainable development. It will also advocate at high levels inclusion of breastfeeding programming in achieving SDGs by 2030, protection of breastfeeding and ensuring adequate support to breastfeeding women. Ministry of health in collaboration with its partners plan to commemorate 2016 WBW through a number of activities that include training of community health workers in Kadoma and Beitbridge districts on breastfeeding as a key to sustainable development . It will also assist mothers to breastfeed in the community by having breastfeeding mobile support clinics using branded breastfeeding vans in Kadoma and Beitbridge. Young mothers will be targeted focusing mainly on attachment, positioning and key tips to successful breastfeeding. The health ministry will conduct community campaigns on breastfeeding through road shows in Kadoma and Beitbridge and a social media campaign on breastfeeding showcasing community initiatives will take place in Kadoma, Beitbridge, Harare and other districts via YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp. A Whatsapp short video on how to properly attach and position a baby when breastfeeding will be developed and distributed. The ministry will host a meeting with the Parliamentarian Committee on SDGs on 1 August 2016 to initiate commemorations of the 2016 WBW. Sensitization meetings for youth, young health professionals and media practitioners on breastfeeding as a key to sustainable development will also be held. The launch of the WBW will be held in Kadoma, on a date to be announced but during the third week of August. The occasion will be graced by Parliamentary Committee Members on SDGs and Minister of Health and Child Care. Meanwhile there will be radio and TV presentation series on breastfeeding as a key to sustainable development These initiatives will fulfil the 2016 WBW objectives that include informing people about the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they relate to breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF). These are also designed to firmly anchor breastfeeding as a key component of sustainable development and to galvanise a variety of actions at all levels on breastfeeding and IYCF in the new era of the SDGs Lastly to engage and collaborate with a wider range of actors around promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding. When one looks through the objectives for this year’s WBW, it calls for a lot of advocacy efforts and the ministry therefore aims to develop an efficient advocacy tool covering the
broad areas like nutrition/food security, health, well-being and survival; environment and climate change; work productivity; empowerment, social protection; and sustainable partnerships and rule of law. Proposed Outcomes The events above are aimed at increasing awareness on SDGs by youth, media practitioners, health professionals, the public and various population groups They should also be greater visibility on the role of breastfeeding in ensuring sustainable development in our communities. It is also hoped that buy-in from Parliamentarians will be elevated and support of breastfeeding issues at high national level increased. Lastly is also envisaged that there will be increased commitment by community based CSOs in supporting government to ensure sustainable development in communities. Role of Organisations and partners The government through the ministries and nutrition institutions, UN Agencies, local and international NGOs, CSOs, private companies and public institutions will be represented in the 2016 WBW National Committee. The committee will be chaired by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, National Nutrition department. District planning committees in Beit bridge and Kadoma districts will receive support from the national committee and coordinated by the District Nutritionist. Breastfeeding as a component of sustainable development In a world with serious water shortages, constant power cuts, high inflation, breastfeeding comes as an acceptable, feasible, affordable, safe and sustainable option as no water is required for any processes during breastfeeding, no heating or reheating is required hence no energy is expended. Breastfeeding has been shown beyond reasonable doubt to highly contribute to optimal child growth, and a well breastfed child has higher chances of survival and attaining greater self-development later in life. Historically it has been noted that funding to promote breastfeeding initiatives has
been slowly dwindling and this decline could be worsened by the current El Nino induced emergency drought. However for the emergency response to be fully successful, breastfeeding should be promoted as it is a vital component that cannot be neglected. The health ministry encourages community based organisations to support district, ward and community health workers in providing support, education and counseling to all pregnant and lactating mothers especially
young mothers who require additional support in breastfeeding. Speaking with Mr Dexter Chagwena a nutritionist from Ministry of Health and Child Care, he encouraged all mothers to visit the Facebook page A Healthy Baby- Breastfeed to get information on breastfeeding. This is part of the social media campaign being speraheaded by young health professionals from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.