15/7/2022
World Breastfeeding Week 2022: Step up for breastfeeding; Educate and support By Sheila Murithi First celebrated in 1992, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is a global celebration that occurs every year from the 1st to the 7th of August in more than 120 countries. In Kenya, the WBW activities were rolled out a little different this year; with the upcoming national elections in August, the fete took place a month earlier, from 1st to 7th July 2022. World Breastfeeding Week is jointly organized and promoted worldwide by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It aims to highlight the huge benefits that breastfeeding can bring to the health and welfare of babies and benefits to maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction, and food security. The week has the dual goal of improving the health of babies and promoting, protecting, and supporting the rights of women to breastfeed anywhere and at any time. The theme for WBW 2022, “Step up for Breastfeeding; Educate and Support” is focused on promoting breastfeeding for survival, health and well-being of children, mothers, and communities at large for both the short and long-term. The focus of this year’s theme also reflects on the need for strengthening efforts that were in place pre-COVID to recover and sustain the gains achieved, towards building resilient communities and economies. Further, it emphasizes the need for continuous capacity development of actors to transform existing systems through education and awareness creation on the need to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. (Source: https://bit.ly/2LfVmgI) “Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. It is key to sustainable development for babies, as it improves nutrition, ensures food security and reduces inequalities between society cadres and within countries,” stated Mr. Alphonce
Muema, Assistant Chief Nutrition Officer and Chairperson of the KNH WBW2022 committee. He added: “The Committee had an activitypacked week with health talks in obstetrics and pediatrics wards and clinics, an exhibition outside the KNH Information Centre, National launch of WBW2022 held at Mbagathi hospital and Continuing Medical Education (CMEs) at the lactation center situated in ward 1A and Kenyatta Prime Care Centre (KPCC) conference room.” “The #WBW2022 Launch, graced by CAS Dr. Mercy Mwangangi (Guest of Honor) and an avid supporter of breastfeeding, was one of the highlights of the week for our team. This is because we had a chance to demonstrate kangaroo mother care which is practiced and taught to mothers who have preemies in KNH NICU and did a presentation about the role of KNH in capacity building of health care providers on maternalinfant and young child nutrition (MYCN),” Assistant Chief Nutrition Officer, Ms. Grace Echoka told the Newsline. Newsline was keen to note the zeal and commitment shown by the team as they mobilized mothers with young children and families coming to seek other services in KNH to pass
ISSUE 15 | Kenyatta National Hospital Newsline
by the exhibition tent and learn about breastfeeding and how to offer the much-needed support to sustain it up to at least 2 years of age for their young ones. “Support for mothers is a community responsibility,” said Ms. Rosebella Keino, Assistant Chief Nutrition Officer who was often stationed at the exhibition tent. The WBW Committee members also went round the Obstetrics and Pediatric wards endowing staff in these areas with badges showing that they support the cause; Step up for Breastfeeding; Educate and Support. The week culminated with a CME on Friday, July 8th, 2022 where one of the WBW 2022 KNH sponsors, Krishna Chemist Ltd.; a supplier of Mamalait – a product that improves breast milk supply by increasing the level of prolactin hormone in lactating mothers, offered training on the product. In attendance were nurses, nutritionists and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Counselors (PMCT). The training mainly focused on how to promote and improve exclusive breastfeeding. Ms. Mercy Barwecho, Deputy Chief Nutrition Officer, brought the week to a close by thanking the team for the well-organized activities and emphasized the importance of upholding initiatives that promote
PHOTO | GAD OMONDI Mr. Laurence Mumo, representative from Krishna Chemist Ltd. conducting a presentation during the #WBW2022 CME at the Lactation Centre
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