WHO and UNICEF celebrate 25 years of BFHI during World Congress

By camlinknews

WHO and UNICEF celebrate 25 years of BFHI at World Congress in Geneva from 24-26th October 2016. Join to celebrate the 25th Anniversary since the inception of the Initiative. It would be recalled that in 1991, WHO and UNICEF launched the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), providing a framework to promote, support and protect breastfeeding in hospitals and maternity facilities through the implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The 25th anniversary becomes the perfect moment to celebrate the successes and chart the future to ensure that every new-born receives appropriate care. Therefore, WHO and UNICEF are conducting a number of activities to reshape and reinvigorate the Ten Steps for Successful Breastfeeding such as: 1-assessing BFHI current status, 2-developing systematic reviews of the evidence behind the Ten Steps, 4-updating WHO guidelines, 5-gathering information on successes and challenges in implementation through country case-studies and, 6-hosting a Congress that will take place in Geneva, Switzerland in October 24-26 2016. The BFHI Congress aims to: 1. Celebrate achievements in improving quality of care for breastfeeding mothers, 2. Present the current status of the BFHI 3. Discuss new guidance on country implementation of the Ten Steps 4. Form or strengthen regional networks to improve country programmes for maternity facilities As regards this Congress, Agness Sitati (copied herewith) is a member of the eight team global planning committee (and the only one from Africa - Kenya) and some of her key responsibilities in the region are: 1-to identify speakers from the region who can share information on the successes, challenges, and lessons learnt in the implementation of BFHI in their countries (through case studies) 2-to provide suggestions for the invitation of participants from countries that have implemented the BFHI (strictly 2 participants per country who are the focal persons or national BFHI coordinators from the government and NGO). In this regard, We kindly request you to share this information with your networks so that we can get very fruitful contributions from the region to share and as much representation and participation as possible at the World BFHI Congress. If anyone has information from their countries that is worth sharing at the congress, kindly get in touch with Agnes at ansitati@gmail.com or call her on +254 722 678 886 or Skype at agnes.sitati1 so that you are added onto the Congress agenda as a key speaker at the earliest time possible before it is finalized. Also get in touch with her through the contacts provided on the invitation nominees for your countries, providing their full contacts. Your co-operation and assistance will be highly appreciated.