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Breastfeeding Week begins today


Published : 31 Jul 2021 09:35 PM | Updated : 01 Aug 2021 12:57 AM



World Breastfeeding Week will begin today. The six-day long Breastfeeding week is observed in Bangladesh from 1st to 6th August every year since 1992 and the World Breastfeeding Week has been observed nationally since 2010 under the direction of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 

World Breastfeeding Week is being successfully observed in Bangladesh in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Nutrition Service, Public Health Nutrition Institute, Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF) and other partner organizations. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated World Breastfeeding Week in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 and gave messages containing various directions on maternal and child nutrition.

According to the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTI) 2020 Infant & Young Child Feeding (IYCF) policy formulation and tracking, assessment and monitoring of activities, Bangladesh is ranked first out of 97 countries in the world. 

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) has set the theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week: "Protect Breastfeeding, A Shared Responsibility."

The purpose of World Breastfeeding Week-2021

1. Inform everyone about the importance of breastfeeding safety;

2. To establish breastfeeding as an important responsibility of public health services;

3. Engage different individuals and organizations for maximum success.

There is no alternative to breastfeeding the baby. Breastfeeding benefits both the mother and the baby. If the baby is breastfed within 1 hour of birth, the mother's uterus falls off quickly, the bleeding stops easily, and the mother is protected from anemia. Helps with birth defects, reduces the risk of breast and uterine cancer and high blood pressure. 

There are many benefits including ensuring maximum physical growth and mental development of the baby, increasing immunity, reducing the risk of diarrhea and its severity, reducing respiratory infections and ear inflammation, helping to build teeth and gums.

The evils of feeding powdered milk to a child:

1. According to OAGH data (2013), breastfeeding does not increase the risk of death from pneumonia by about 15 times, the risk of death from diarrhea by about 11 times, malnutrition of children and others, about 14 times the risk of death due to jaundice, typhoid and gastrointestinal infections, increased risk of diarrhea; Physical growth and the development of the intellect is hindered; Weight gain increases with age; Increases the risk of chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, obesity).

Challenges and steps that need to be taken to ensure a conducive environment for breastfeeding:

Challenges:

1. Ongoing Covid-19 epidemic;

2. Lack of supportive environment for breastfeeding in offices, courts, banks, shopping malls, railway stations, bus stands;

3. Lack of monitoring and implementation of Breastfeeding Alternatives, Baby Food Act 2013 and Rules 2018;

4. Lack of proper implementation of 10 steps of child friendly hospital in service centers;

5. Impact of aggressive propaganda by powdered milk and baby food companies;

6. Lack of adequate social protection for working lactating mothers;

7. Policy on job security and paid leave at private level;

8. Lack of a supportive environment for breastfeeding at work;

9. Breastfeeding at work;

10. Lack of employer knowledge about the benefits of breastfeeding;

11. Feeding honey, sugar and candy water etc. after birth;

12. The mother's misconception that her baby's stomach is not full with her milk has resulted in feeding powdered milk or other milk;

13. Lack of co-operation from mother to family and social to breastfeed the baby;

14. Donate powdered milk and baby food during emergencies and disasters;

15. Promoting breast milk substitutes (powdered milk), baby food for healthcare workers, despite being a criminal offence under the Breastfeeding Alternatives Act-2013 and Rules-2017 and,

16. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, breastfeeding is less important.

All the activities that need to be taken:

1. Follow national guidelines on coronary and other emergencies;

2. Implement, monitor and enforce the Breastfeeding Alternative Baby Food Act;

3. Increase the scope and allocation of funds for baby food and nutrition activities;

4. Identify and control digital marketing strategies of breast milk alternative baby food companies;

5.Ensuring supportive environment and maternity protection (leave, salary-allowance, health care, allowance for pregnant and maternity mothers) in breastfeeding at home and abroad;

6. To take steps at different levels of society to protect, promote and support breastfeeding;

7. Provide training on healthcare workers counselling and breastfeeding alternatives, baby food legislation;

8. Ensure regular monitoring of the Breastfeeding Alternative Feeding Act at every stage of the health system;

9. Health workers should refrain from activities that create conflicts of interest and

10. Stop give and take of support from powdered milk, baby food companies and ensuring law enforcement.

On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week 2021, National Nutrition Service, Public Health Nutrition Institute, Department of Health, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation have undertaken various programs across the country which will be observed throughout the month.