World Breastfeeding Week 2016 celebrated from Monday (1st of August) to the Sunday (7th of August) throughout the world to marking the importance of breast feeding to the new born by the lactating mother. Several events on breast feeding have been exhibited by many countries, organizations and participants worldwide.
Why this celebration ?
- To make aware the peer group to support mothers in order to establish and carry on the breastfeeding.
- To initiate the breastfeeding supporters to be trained to provide support to mothers and babies in more effective ways.
- To make aware the people to attend and expand the Peer Counseling programmes by letting them know the effective and efficient benefits of the Peer Counseling.
- To call on the governments to get more and worldwide maternity facilities in order to increase the rate and duration of elite breastfeeding.
- To discover the contacts of the neighboring community support so that breastfeeding mothers can go them to get help and support after delivery.
There are five circles of support from which a mother should get assistance for breast feeding. A woman is surrounded by these circles of support which are Family and Social Network, Workplace and Employment, Government or Legislation, Healthcare and Response to Crisis or Emergency.
Organization:-
Breast feeding week is organized and promoted worldwide by the WABA – World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WHO – World Health Organization and UNICEF- United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to get the goal of elite breastfeeding by mother for their baby of first six months in order to get the incredible health benefits, to fulfill the all vital nutrients, to encourage mother for the healthy growth and development of their child.
- This practice also guards them from the lethal health problems and diseases including neonatal jaundice, pneumonia, cholera and many more.
- It was first started and celebrated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in the year 1992. And later it is being celebrated in more than 120 countries by the UNICEF, WHO and their participants such as individuals, associations and governments.
- World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action was also established in the year 1991 at 14thof Feb to promote the comprehensive breastfeeding culture worldwide by providing the support and achieve the real goal.
- This year’s theme for the World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) is ‘Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development’.
The World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme is on raising awareness of the links between breastfeeding and the Sustainable Development Goals. By recognizing that breastfeeding is a key to sustainable development, we will value our wellbeing from the start of life, respect each other and care for the world we share.
Importance of Breastfeeding:-
- It is highly recommended by them to all mothers that they should give breastfeeding to their child for the first six months of the life and after that a supplemented breastfeeding can be given for the one, two or more years.
- It is very necessary to the mothers to get timely support and health care education to their baby including breast feeding. The continuous support and intimation can bring the gradual and permanent changes in the social living and ultimately healthy and disease free social living. To sustain a continuous breast feeding can be traditionally supported by the family, community leaders, trained health workers, lactation consultants, friends and partners.
- The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action had assisted and supported the social mobilization for the global promotion of the campaign of breastfeeding. WHO and WABA had decided a day committed to the breastfeeding which has been marked as one of the important international events.
The strategy of peer counseling can be beneficial and exceedingly productive approach to distribute the message of breast feeding campaign to a larger number of other worldwide in a less time period. The trained person of the community can be a peer counselor which can support the mothers to combat their breastfeeding questions and issues.
Centre launches nation-wide breast feeding programme
With the goal of enhancing optimal breastfeeding practices, Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched a nation-wide breast feeding programme MAA – Mothers Absolute Affection.
- It is an intensified programme of the Health Ministry for creating an enabling environment to ensure that mothers, husbands and families receive adequate information and support for promotion of breastfeeding.
- Union Minister unveiled attack on the supplementary products for babies which has flooded the markets, launched the programme at a glittering ceremony with Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit also present as its celebrity brand ambassador.
- The Ministry has allocated 30 crore rupees for the Programme and 4.3 lakh rupees for each district for implementing the various activities under MAA programme.
- It is noted that the practice of breastfeeding enhance immunity level in the child and it will greatly help to reduce the under five mortality of children. Breastfeeding is one of the important interventions for child survival.
Breastfeeding drive launched in Jharkhand
The Jharkhand government has launched an awareness drive across all districts to make women aware about correct breastfeeding practices to mark the World Breastfeeding Week, which is being celebrated from August 1 to August 7.
- During this week long campaign, special programmes will be organized in all 38,000 anganwadi centres of the state to cover over 16 lakh lactating mothers, 8 lakh pregnant women and about 16 lakh children below two years.
- All districts have been instructed to conduct meetings at the panchayat levels and different activities have been planned for each day of the week.
- The Anganwadi workers will organize counseling sessions on breast-feeding; weigh all children below five years; and initiate complementary feeding for infants, who are six months old,
- It is noted that only 64.3% of babies are exclusively breastfed during the first six months in the state, while continuation of breastfeeding along with complementary feeding is 35.7%,