The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called on governments to protect and promote women’s access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, a critical component of breastfeeding support.
This call was made by the two international organisations as they marked the World Breastfeeding Week 2020 tagged, ‘Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet’, Development Diaries learnt.
In a joint statement by the Executive Director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, and the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, they said, ‘Breastfeeding provides every child with the best possible start in life. It delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers. And it forms part of a sustainable food system. But while breastfeeding is a natural process, it is not always easy. Mothers need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding’.
Additionally the organisations called on governments to invest to make skilled breastfeeding counselling available to every woman.
‘Ensuring availability of skilled breastfeeding counselling to every woman will require increased financing for breastfeeding programmes and improved monitoring and implementation of policies, programmes and services. TRAIN health care workers, including midwives and nurses, to deliver skilled breastfeeding counselling to mothers and families’, the statement added.
‘Ensure that counselling is made available as part of routine health and nutrition services that are easily accessible. PARTNER and collaborate with civil society and health professional associations, building strong collaborative systems for the provision of appropriate counselling and PROTECT health care workers from the influence of the baby food industry.
‘Together, through commitment, concerted action and collaboration, we can ensure that every mother has access to skilled breastfeeding counselling, empowering her to give her baby the best possible start in life’.
Source: UNICEF
Photo source: UNICEF Ethiopia