journal du 30 octobre - 6 novembre 2013:hO 10/30/13 4:26 aM Page 3
Haïti-observateur
30 octobre - 6 novembre 2013
LA VRAIE AFRIQUE QUE JE CONNAIS/THE REAL AFRICA I KNOW
Glimpses of Uganda (Part 3) By Réginald Barthélemy The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. The reason is to achieve optimal health and development. Mothers should feed their babies complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding for up to two years or even beyond. Uganda is considered to be a country with a good tradition of breastfeeding. Most Ugandan mothers understand the need of breastfeeding their babies. According to a survey conducted in 2006 by the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, 98% of Ugandan babies are breastfed. So, we can say that breastfeeding is universal in Uganda. However, breastfeeding is not exclusive as recommended by WHO. I will highlight some of the factors that explain the non exclusiveness of breastfeeding in Uganda. Socio-economic factors Generally, adherence to breastfeeding by mothers is largely influenced by the socioeconomic status of the family, especially mothers. In Uganda, low rates of breastfeeding are found among low-income mothers. Many Ugandan mothers are
breadwinners. They engage in income generating activities, such as farming, retail business, etc. Therefore, employment can influence the decision to exclusive breastfeeding. The commitment to exclusive breastfeeding is another economic constraint. The time required per week to breastfeed rather than bottle-feed infants is a significant burden for Ugandan women who, for the most part, do not have childcare or need to spend this time doing paid work. Unlike the Western world, there is arguably no workplace policy concerning breastfeeding and parental leave. No matter the rationale, evidence suggests that the long-term benefits of exclusive breastfeeding supersede the short-term costs.
Breastfeeding and HIV transmission factors It has been argued that the campaign for the universal promotion of breastfeeding fails to consider affected mothers who have limited or no access to procedures that would reduce the chance of spreading the virus to their babies. There has been some resistance to breastfeeding in some quarters of society due to possible transmission from mothers to babies. Initiatives have been taken
for a decreased percentage of infants contracting HIV, such as administering anti-retroviral therapy to mothers and providing milk formula. However, it has been discovered that while being infected with HIV, some mothers continue to breastfeed their infants. Why? They fear of being segregated by community members.
Cultural and traditional factors Some of the cultural beliefs are obstacles to exclusive breastfeeding. For example, it is believed that: “If you express milk to the ground, the baby will die.” However, some women argue that they have never seen or heard of a child who died as a result of the mother expressing the milk. Nutritionists recommend that after six months, babies should be given two or three meals a day in addition to breast milk. These meals should consist of at least three food groups. Unfortunately, according to the Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey, only 24% of Ugandan babies meet this standard. Some mothers actually delay giving babies these foods altogether. About 23% of babies aged 6-8 months do not receive these complementary foods. About 1 in every 10 will continue to be exclusively breastfed. It is
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GYNÉCOLOGIE Maladies de la femme •Test de grossesse •Avortement • Infertilité • Planning familial
PÉDiATRiE Maladie des enfants • Vaccins •Rhumatisme • Maladies de la peau • Diarrhée
MÉDECinE pour toutes maladies • Tension artérielle • Diabète • Impotence • Maladies de la peau
CHIROPRACTEUR Maladie de la colonne Vertébrale • Maux de tête, cou, dos • Arthrites •Douleur musculaire • Douleur au niveau des os
PODIATRIE Maladie des pieds et des jambes • Corps, ongles incarnés • Douleurs aux pieds etaux jambes
RÉHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGIQUE Problèmes psychologiques • Dépression • Anxiété
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estimated that 4% will receive only plain along with breast milk while the other 7% will be given either only juice or another kind of milk. Closing remarks Uganda continues to struggle with a high mortality rate among children under the age of five. Diarrhea and pneumonia are the top two killers for this age group. Yet, exclusive breastfeeding of infants and young children could save many lives. Why? Breastfeeding is the most complete food available. It contains all the nutrients, energy, and antibodies that babies need to fight infections. Campaigns to promote breastfeeding have been conducted in the mass media, including public service announcements through radio, television, posters, newspa-
3 pers and magazines. This awareness movement has led to improved knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding for infants and mothers among individuals and communities. Ugandan advocates of exclusive breastfeeding emphasize the role that each member of society can play in raising awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding. They encourage younger and older people to engage in intergenerational dialogues. Just a warning note – Unlike most Western societies, breastfeeding is public in Uganda. Ugandan mothers do not believe in such thing as looking for appropriate venue to breastfeed their young ones. They breastfeed them anywhere, in the park, in public transport, at the church, in the market place. Anywhere – period! 30 october 2013