WBW 2012 Preparations Started

By Helen Ayamba, Email:helenayamba@yahoo.com
It's Time To Act After 10 Years Global Strategy And 20 Years WBW!
WABA has made known the theme for WBW 2012. In a release by the International Coordinator of the World Breastfeeding Week, Julianne Lim Abdullah, it was made lnow that 20 years ago, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) launched its first World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) campaign with the theme: "Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative" and so much has happened in these 20 years. During the celebration this year, we are taking a look back to understand what has happened and why. Breastfeeding promotion and protection activists are planning more activities to support all women to be able to optimally feed and care for of their infants and young children.

2012 WBW Objectives
1. To recall what has happened in the past 20 years on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
2. To celebrate successes and achievements nationally, regionally and globally and showcase national work at global level.
3. To assess the status of implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (GS).
4. To call for action to bridge the remaining gaps in policy and programmes on breastfeeding and IYCF.
5. To draw public attention on the state of policy and programmes on breastfeeding and IYCF.

What is the Global Strategy?
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) jointly developed and launched the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (GS) in 2002 reaffirming the four Innocenti targets set in 1995, and setting additional targets. The GS has identified a clear need for optimal infant feeding practices in reducing malnutrition as well as poverty. It is based on a human rights approach and calls for the development of comprehensive national policies on infant and young child feeding. It provides guidance on how to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond, together with adequate, appropriate and indigenous complementary feeding starting from the age of six (6) months.

How and Why we should monitor status of implementation of the Global Strategy?
In 2004 – 2005, the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), that is one of WABA's core partners launched the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) , to track, assess and monitor the implementation of the Global Strategy. According to UNICEF's State of the World's Children Report 2011, 136.7 million babies are born worldwide and only 32.6 % of them are breastfed exclusively in the first six months. According to the WBTi assessment of 40 countries, most of the 40 countries do not have an effective IYCF policy with an adequate budget for implementation. To be able to increase breastfeeding rates, it is important to assess policies and programmes and take action accordingly.
To prepare the minds of breastfeeding promoters and supporters in Cameroon towards the celebration of the World Breastfeeding Week 2012, we have shall be looking through the policy declarations made during the mass event launching in the past years. The videos on camlink99 channel take us back to Yaoundé, Obala, Ebolowa and Douala, where advocates for breastfeeding shared their opinions during mass events, emphasising the best option to guarantee the survival of babies. For more information, visit the following web sites – www.waba.org.my,

2012 WBW Photography Contest

Each year, WABA organizes a World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) Photography Contest. World Breastfeeding Week 2012 Photography contest is open until 15 March 2012. Advocates seize the opportunity to feature their breastfeeding photos in the year's Action Folder! Ten winning photos are selected, and contributors whose photos are featured in the WBW Action Folders, Posters and Banners are awarded US$100 for each published photo.

What WABA is looking for in 2012?
Countries are expected to mobilize people and resources for a national evaluation and create an information bulletin. Many countries are already involved in the process of World Breastfeeding Trend Initiative ratings. It is time for Cameroon to organize its second evaluation this year and plan a strategy for behaviour change communication. Cameroon Link has been a strong advocate for the respect of the articles of the International Code, as a means of promoting child rights. Cameroon Link will this year champion activities in the Central African region through the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotions Associations, FECABPA. It has won the photo competition thrice. According to the president of FECABPA, a good photo can be taken if you understand issues related to breastfeeding. For more information visit the web site at www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org You can also send a mail to Julianna Lim Abdullah, IBCLC through the following address: Email: julianna.lim@waba.org.my

SUFI HANG UP CAMPAIGN ON THE WAY

SUFI Civil Society Organisations Trained On MILDA Hang Up Campaign
By Ojong Helen Ayamba
Email: helenayamba@yahoo.com
Mimi Soppo is 30 years old and lives with the husband and five children at Ndobo, Bonendaleneighbourhood of Bonassama Health District. Like her neighbours, she received vouchers for free mosquito nets at the local health centre during the last September 2011 mosquito net distribution campaign. Mosquito nets prevent malaria, a disease that is killing many children in Cameroon. Mimi got the voucher, but did not know where to get the free nets. They had never used mosquito bed nets before and two of her children failed in school because they were frequently sick with malaria.
Due to the size of their family, they received two bed nets and were advised to hang the nets up 24 hours after reception when they arrived home. Her husband helped her using a few nails to hang them, but the nets kept falling down. To receive mosquito nets is not enough. One must know how to correctly hang them. One net was hung and the other was just put aside.
Two weeks after the net distribution, two yo0ung people knocked at their door and were introduced by the village head as volunteers who would help them hang upbed nets correctly. Mimi was very happy and in less than one hour, all the nets were hung correctly and they learnt how to maintain them. Since then, the nets have changed their lives and for the first time, they are are all sleeping through the night without being bitten by mosquitoes. Since they have been using the nets, their children have not missed school because of fever.
SUFI is a five year project designed to reduce the prevalence of malaria. One of the easiest ways to reduce malaria is to prevent mosquitoes from biting humans. The challenge is that only 45% of children less than five years old, and less than 50% of pregnant women slept under an impregnated net at night before the national MILDA campaign in 2011.
As a result of the mass distribution of nets carried out by the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health and other partners, Plan Cameroon is training civil society organization and community based organisationson the importance of hanging the insecticide treated bed nets correctly and using them evry night of the year to prevent malaria.
This is the substance of a Scaling Up malaria control for Impact in Cameroon from 2011 and 2015, as Plan Cameroon and the Malaria Consortium – Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria embraced a capacity building trainer of trainers workshop to capacitate civil society organizations on the use of community monitoring and evaluation tools and communication support for behaviour change in Douala, littoral region of Cameroon.
Hang Up is the slogan that has been chosen to encourage people to always sleep under the long=life action impregnated mosquito net. According to the facilitators, a public awareness campaign for the use of the mosquito net will soon take off throughout Cameroon hang Up is an increased follow-up of the regular use of the mosquito net in the households.
The key facilitators of the workshop in Douala from the 21st – 23rd February, 2012 were Sibetcheu Daniel of the Malaria Consortium – Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (MC-CCAM), Dr. FotsoFokam of Plan international Cameroon, Dr. Simo Francis of IRESCO and AKOA Lin Christophe of the malaria control unit for the littoral.
During the three days, the participants composed of the Chief District Medical Officers and the accredited SUFI Civil Society Organisations from the 19 health districts of the Littoral region exchanged the generalities of malaria, communication techniques, MILDA Hang Up campaign process, health information system with communities, how to elaborate a training schedule at district level and the elements of justification of an executed activity.
Malaria kills a person every 30 seconds. It is responsible for 500 million cases of illness every year and kills children in particular. It is endemic in 109 countries around the world and reinforces poverty. That is why it is considered a permanent enemy, because it surfaces each time control and prevention is slowed down
The short term objective is that 80% patients are and treated with efficient anti-malaria prescription. All pregnant women receive malaria prevention treatment from 4 months of pregnancy. In the short term, incidence of malaria in the world is reduced by 75% and that the realisation of the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals in the case of the fight against malaria is achieved. The universal coverage is continued with efficient interventions
In Cameroon,181 civil society organisations and 15.500 community based organisations are involved in the control of malaria throughout the ten regions.

MC – CCAM VA EN GUERRE CONTRE LE PALUDISME

Par Rosette Ombessack
SUFI OSC Bonassama
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
Le « Malaria Consortium – Cameroon Coalition Against Malaria (MC – CCAM) » a organisé le 01 février 2012 à Douala une réunion de plaidoyer pour la lutte contre le paludisme au Cameroun. C’était en présence d’un parterre d’autorités à l’instar du représentant du gouverneur de la région du littoral, Madame Sincon Rachel, La Directrice de MCCCAM, Dr. Esther Tallah, le délégué de la santé pour le littoral , Dr. Bita Fouda, la coordinatrice régionale de l’unité de paludisme pour le littoral, Gertrude Bita.
La petite Patricia âgée de dix ans, habitant le quartier Logpom à Douala est décédé il y’a quelque semaines des suites d’une maladie qu’on appelle le paludisme. Elle était reconnue dans son entourage comme une petite fille intelligente et respectueuse enfant.
Le cas de Patricia n’est pas isolé. Car le paludisme est une maladie mortelle qui décime les êtres humains à l’échelle mondiale. En effet, selon les statistiques fournies par le GMAP, le paludisme tue une personne toutes les 30 secondes, est responsable de 500 millions de cas de maladies chaque année, tue les enfants en particulier, et est endémique dans 109 pays, aggrave et renforce la pauvreté, et est ennemi permanent et resurgit chaque fois qu’il y’a ralentissement de la lutte contre le paludisme.
C’est fort de cette sombre situation que le GMAP, le plan d’action mondial contre le paludisme, est lancée comme stratégie par le partenariat « Roll Back Malaria » en septembre 2008 pour élaborer un cadre détaillé pour la lutte contre le paludisme dont la finalité est l’éradication de celui-ci.
La rencontre du 01 février avait pour souci le plaidoyer pour la lutte contre le paludisme au Cameroun. Il s’est agit pour les initiateurs de convaincre les uns et les autres que le problème est réel et que par conséquent, cela nécessite leur implication, et ce d’autant plus que, une seule main ne peut pas faire un nœud. Le représentant du Gouverneur de la région du littoral, Madame Rachel Sincon, a d’ailleurs souligné dans ses propos que les pouvoirs publics à eux seuls ne peuvent lutter contre cette terrible maladie, d’où la nécessité d’associer les partenaires comme les ONG ( Organisation de société civile) et même les populations à s’impliquer dans ce combat.
Rachel Sincon a tenu à rappeler la décision salutaire du président de la République, Son Excellence, Monsieur Paul Biya, relative à la gratuité du traitement du paludisme chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans et les femmes enceintes, et ces partenaires qui ont décidé de distribuer gratuitement les MILDA.
Le GMAP est le premier et unique projet global en matière de lutte contre le paludisme et son éradication. Car il vise à lutter contre le paludisme à une échelle beaucoup plus grande, fournit une feuille de route qui comprend tous les pays endémiques, assure que les résultats positifs réalisés au niveau régional restent permanents, empêche la réintroduction de parasites provenant de pays endémique.
Après la campagne de distribution des MILDA, l’heure est à la phase de plaidoyer, information et la communication avec les populations pour le changement de comportement. Il va s’agir de recenser ceux qui n’ont pas eut les MILDA pour qu’ils y entrent en possession lors des campagnes qui seront fait chaque année durant la période de 5 ans. Les organisations de la société civile (OSC) sont chargées de l’encadrement des organisations à base communautaires (OBC). Dans le cadre du programme, il faudra sensibiliser les populations sur la nécessité d’utiliser les MILDA afin de les décourager à les vendre, comme c’est le cas chez certains qui, après avoir eu une MILDA depuis des mois ne l’utilise pas, attendant une occasion pour la placer. Pour cela, les agents de la GMAP seront formés et formeront à leur tour ceux des communautaires à éviter les dérapages pendant l’exécution de la feuille de route mise en place par le GMAP.