FECABPA Holds 5th Ordinary General Assembly in Yaounde

By Martine Yolande Tsenou,
AFEIMEK Yaoundé
The 5th Ordinary General Meeting of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, held in Yaoundé on the 23rd January 2010. Attended by some 20 representatives of member organisations of the federation, activities in 2009 were reviewed and discussions centred on the plan of action for 2010.
In the annual orientation speech, the National President of FECABPA, James Achanyi-Fontem, started by wishing all a “Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010”, adding that since the creation of the Cameroon national nutrition networking exchange coalition for the promotion of infant and young child feeding on the 14th September 2007, the vision of the organisation has remained the same.
He recalled to members of FECABPA that the vision is to protect, promote and support mothers to breastfeed their babies and feed infants adequately as a right to food, affection and tenderness as the guarantee for good health and well being.
He invited FECABPA members to continue to use the different techniques and strategies taught them during the training at Obala in 2008 for social mobilisation within the context of the expansion of recommendations of the World Health Assembly, World Health Organisation and UNICEF. He announced that WHO published new HIV recommendations to improve health, reduce infections and save lives during the last World AIDS Day 2009. He is the role of health associations to inform communities of the new recommendations published on a good number of health web sites already.
The National President of FECABPA, James Achanyi-Fontem, talked about how to design local action plans within the context of pertinent declarations of the United Nations Organisation and the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals. He invited all organisations to work in close collaboration with health districts in the regions starting from their health areas of locations.
He revealed that the theme for the World Breastfeeding Week 2010 is centred on the ten conditions for successful breastfeeding and that this is visible through the 15 key indicators of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative, WBTi that is considered to facilitate the closure of gaps where little is done in any given country.
Zimbabwe and Cameroon benefitted from the WBTi training in 2009, and the role of those who received the training is to transfer the monitoring and evaluation techniques to other organisations and their colleagues in their countries, who were not opportune.
All trainers in Cameroon agreed that regular monitoring and evaluation could help to identify gaps and close them during planned activities. Speaking on international network planned activities, the National President of FECABPA who doubles as the Coordinator of WABA Men’s Working Group and Focal Point for IBFAN Cameroon informed members that the 8th Conference of IBFAN Africa has been scheduled in the month of September 2010 in Mauritius Island and that members should start scouting funds for their travel, accommodation and meals. The theme of the conference has been announced as, “Breastfeeding, Child Survival and the Role of Infant and Young Child Feeding”.
The Coordinator of Men’s Initiative made it known that Sarah Amin and Susan Siew, who are WABA Co-Directors have also announced some key events following the WABA Steering Committee Meeting held in October 2009. These events have been slated towards the end of 2010, starting with WABA Global Breastfeeding Partners’ Meeting (GBPM) from 17th to 19th October 2010 and the theme for the meeting is "Enabling Mothering: Keeping Mothers and Babies together". The GBPM proper takes place on the 20th October 2010. This will be followed by WABA Steering Committee Meeting from 22nd to 24th October 2010.
On the other hand, the International Coordinator of the World Breastfeeding Week, Julianna Lim Abdullah reported from WABA Secretariat that WBW celebrants in 2009 were from over 170 countries and that more than 500 events took place globally involving more than 800,000 celebrants. The 2009 WBW was described as the greatest outreach event in its history.
With this, Julianna Lim said, WABA is pleased to announce the theme/slogan for WBW 2010 which was decided by the WABA Steering Committee at its October 2009 meeting. The Slogan for WBW 2010 is “Breastfeeding - Just 10 Steps! The Baby-Friendly Way.”
The Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, led by Miriam Labbok was appointed Key Writer for the WBW 2010 Calendar Announcement and Action Folder. Miriam Labbok and her team will work with the WABA Health Care Practices Task Force, Mother Support Task Force and BFHI Working Group.
In an earlier welcome address by the Secretary General of FECABPA, Suzanne Messe, she made a run down of achievements in a balance sheet that showed that the promotion, protection and support of lactating mothers in Cameroon was on a good foot and that exclusive breastfeeding rate for the first six months is on the increase, especially as member organisations now work regularly to protect rights of mothers and babies to adequate nutrition.
ASSF Bonaberi and NOLFOWOP Yaoundé hosted the two ordinary sessions of March 24 and July 9 respectively in 2009. The sessions focused attention on the best strategies to promote mothers’ and fathers’ support groups with the introduction of the Men’s Initiative as an integral part of infant and young child feeding in Cameroon.
Suzanne Messe lauded the technical and material support from WABA, IBFAN, UNICEF and the Ministry of Public health which led to the expansion of activities within communities. The infant and young child feeding groups benefited from international collaboration during the working visits of Dr. Neal Rosenburg and Professor Donna Taliaferro of Washington Nursing College, who researched on HIV stigmatisation amongst health workers in Cameroon. Tobias Zick of the German Neon Magazine visited Cameroon to support Cameroon Link’s action for prevention of violations of the international and national code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes within health facilities.
In November 2009, Cameroon Link facilitated the organisation of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative training for Cameroon in Douala by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN Africa) consultant, Pauline Kisanga. During the ordinary general meeting of FECABPA in Yaoundé, members took the following resolutions that:
1. Apart from the World Breastfeeding Week celebrated from the 1st – 7th August, the federation’s member organisations would get involve in other calendar events recognised and planned by the government through the ministry of public health, including International Day to fight against cancer on 4th February, International Women’s Day on 8th March, World Health Day on 7th April, African Day for the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal mortality, Mother and Infant Health and Nutrition Action week in June, International Day of the African Child on 16th June, World Population Day on 11th July, World Food day on 16th October, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25th November and the National and World AIDS Week from 1st – 7th December each year.
2. A theme will be selected for an expose and learning exchange each time the federation holds a quarterly planned ordinary session within the year.
3. Member organisations should be up to date in the payment of their annual dues by June 15 each year to qualify for participation in exchange meetings or benefit from any capacity building training or subventions from the federation. Only active up-to-date members will have access to information on the federation’s account.
4. Inactive members of the Administrative Board would be replaced once it is brought to the knowledge of participants during general meetings. Long term vacancies of some board members were blamed for the non execution of some planned activities of FECABPA.
5. It was agreed that members residing in Yaoundé and neighbouring cities or regions will open and manage a bank account of the Federation, while the group in Douala will run a similar bank account for acceleration of activities covering the Littoral, South West, West regions. It was observed that this decentralisation will help in outreach advocacy in favour of infants and mothers’ rights. The bank account number of FECABPA at Credit Communautaire d’Afrique in Douala is 27-2707367-001-1.
6. It was finally agreed that the Saturday, 24th April 2009 Ordinary General Meeting will be hosted by the Women’s Gender Council (COGESID) Bonamikano and that on Saturday, 17th July 2009, AFFE Mbalmayo will host all member organisations of FECABPA ahead of the joint national launching of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon on the 1st August by the Minister of Public Health.
Participants at the 5th Ordinary General Assembly of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, came from COGESID Bonamikano, Maleo Santé Plus, NOLFOWOP, Cameroon Link, Vine Yard Movement, Alternative Santé, AFFE Mbalmayo, Ahead Biyem Assi, AFEIMEK, Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon and ASSOCASFIASAR Yaoundé.
Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon and ASSOCASFIASAR (Midwives & Nurses Association) representatives attended the national meeting for their first time and decided to be affiliated to the federation by paying their dues.

UNFPA SUPPORTS CAMLINK CODE MONITORING

By James Achanyi-Fontem
Coordinator,IBFAN Cameroon
Authorities of the United Nation Fund for Population Activities, UNFPA, have drawn the attention of the Ministry of Public Health in Cameroon to the importance and place monitoring of the International Code on the marketing of breastmilk substitute in the regulation and promotion of child survival.
The information filtered from a working session organised by the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, on Thursday, 1oth December 2009 in Yaounde with the head of the communication service of the ministry and a senior journalist of Cameroon Tribune.
The UNFPA drew the attention of the minister to an article on activities organised by Cameroon Link (CAMLINK) following the training of trainers’ course by IBFAN Africa in Douala on the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative. The minister was informed that code monitoring was an alert system that keeps formula producers from health facilities, thereby giving the opportunity to breastfeeding mothers to remain attached to World Health Assembly regulations and recommendations by the World Health Organisation. Cameroon Tribune has earlier published a news investigation on company violations of the Cameroon national code issued as law on the 1st December 2005.
A formula production company during that period sponsored a workshop of paediatricians in Limbe and used the trade mark of Bledina to advertise the workshop in violation of articles of the international and national code on the promotion and marketing of breastmilk substitutes in the country.
The same company consolidated its violation with an advertorial in the Eden Newspaper of Wednesday, 9th December 9 – Monday, 14th December 2009. Cameroon Link had during the WBTi training called on the government to create a regulatory committee with the appointment of a national coordinator to check such lapses throughout the country.
In reaction to the flagrant violations world wide through scientific meetings and workshops, a UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative statement on formula company-funded study days was issued in the United Kingdom.
UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative had recently received several enquires regarding study days sponsored by formula milk industries. These days range from holding study days nutrition company institutes serving as bridges to reach health staff caring for babies within public and private.
The Baby Friendly Initiative requires that all health-care facilities seeking Baby Friendly accreditation adhere to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Information on formula milks provided to health professionals in order to allow them to support mothers who do not breastfeed, should be scientific, factual and free from promotion.
Health professionals are the ideal conduit for promoting formula milk. They engender public trust and respect and have easy access to virtually all new mothers and babies. The ‘halo effect’ of having mothers associate the company brand with a health professional is highly valued. However, for this to happen, the companies need access to those health professionals. As recently, and in the last 10 years before the publication of the code, company representatives had free access to many health-care premises and they induced health professionals to attend their talks with hospitality and free materials.
The Cameroon Code forbids any penetration of health facilities by company delegates to advertise their brand and donate materials or organise meetings. The companies have now opted the indirect version of sponsoring activities of health professionals in very attractive tourism facilities as an incentive.
With increased support for breastfeeding in the health services, health professionals have gradually become much more aware of the real purpose of this ‘generosity’ and its negative effect on breastfeeding and efforts to support informed choice. Subsequently, much of this easy access to health professionals still has to be stopped in countries like Cameroon.
Sponsored study days are a highly effective mechanism for circumventing workplace controls on access by company representatives and so gaining direct access to health professionals. The study days no longer directly focus on breast and bottle feeding, which would only arouse suspicion, but rather are specialist in nature, focusing on, for example, allergy or growth, thus reassuring prospective participants of their legitimacy. Participants are asked to register for the study day, so providing the company with contact details for future promotional opportunities. At the event itself there are opportunities for introductions, closing statements, odd lectures by company representatives and promotional materials that can be given to everyone who attends. The result of this is health professionals who are highly aware of the company’s brand and product, informed of the product’s key selling points, in possession of company materials and possibly well disposed to the company providing them with ‘free’ education. If any of this is then passed on to parents, the company’s outlay can be justified to shareholders as being designed to increase profits.
The Baby Friendly Initiative standards do not expressly prohibit health professionals’ attendance at formula company study days. However, attendance is strongly discouraged. Any health professional considering attending such a day should ask themselves whether attendance is really necessary for their education, whether it is compatible with their Code of Conduct and responsibilities to implement best practice and what effect their attendance could have on the families they serve. For more information visit the Code Monitoring page at http://cameroonlink.info

MWG Happy New Year 2010 Greetings

Happy New Year 2010 Greetings!
WABA Men’s Working Group would like to wish you and your families a Happy and Healthy New Year 2010.
There is no time like now to honour the men and boys in your life, especially those who support mothers. We thank you for your commitment and support in 2009 and hope that you will continue to join WABA Men’s Working Group in our efforts to ensure that men live longer, healthier and happier lives in 2010 and beyond, while supporting breastfeeding mothers around the world.
Wishing you a Beautiful Season and a New Year of Peace and Happiness.

WABA Men’s Working Group

Cameroon Gets WBTi Orientation Training

By Doualla Etongo Priscille
Cameroon Link Group
14 trainers have been oriented on the new WBTi in Cameroon. The orientation training preparation team received IBFAN Africa Consultant and Director of UniNutri Services, Pauline Kisanga, from Swaziland at the Douala International Airport on the 10th November at 19h30 from a timely South Africa Airlines Flight.
Pauline Kisanga, IBFAN Consultant designated as the principal facilitator and James Achanyi-Fontem, National Coordinator of IBFAN Cameroon Link Group acted as the country facilitator of the trainer of trainers WBTi workshop. Participants came from the government, public and private key nutrition NGO advocacy organisations. The selection of participants considered gender aspects with target groups involving men, women and youths in the learning process.
Training Package
The training package presentations on Power Point tackled all the relevant issues related to the starting of a WBTi in a country and the content included the following:
• The Global Strategy and objectives of the workshop
• Status of IYCF in Cameroon and the national perspective
• WBTI – A successful Initiative
• Tracking, Assessing and Monitoring of GSIYCF – South Asia/Africa ExperienceReading Exercise of the Green Book
• Interactive Discussions with Questions and Answers
• How to conduct a national assessment
• Understanding the indicators (1 – 15)
• Work in groups and presentation of work group reports
• Analysis of data, report writing and presentation (exploiting the samples of Asia country reports)
• How to develop recommendations for actions to bridge the gaps
• Work in groups on developing recommendations and presentation of work in groups
• Utilizing WBTi Information
• What is the web action in WBTi
• How to avoid conflict of interest at national level
• Action Plan for Cameroon and Way Forward
• Executive Budget Estimate

Welcome Address
The welcome address on the occasion of the opening of the 2-day orientation training workshop on the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative in Cameroon on the 12th and 13th November 2009 was made by the National Coordinator of Cameroon Link, James Achanyi-Fontem, who doubles as the Focal Point for IBFAN Cameroon Group and the President of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA.
Mr. Achanyi-Fontem said, Cameroon was honoured to have the opportunity to welcome the orientation training workshop on the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) in Douala. He thanked Mrs. Joyce Chanetsa, the Regional Coordinator of IBFAN Africa who included Cameroon on the list of countries to benefit from the orientation training on the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiatiive (WBTi) and Mrs. Pauline Kisanga, Director of UniNutri , IBFAN RC Emeritus for accepting to come to Cameroon to capacitate and share her experiences with the Infant and Young Child Feeding advocates.
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Health secondary data was reached for preparation of the workshop using WHO/ UNICEF data and information to analysis the 15 key indicators of Cameroon’s trends so far documented. IBFAN Cameroon Group coordinator acknowledged that the training will assist in the expansion of breastfeeding protection, promotion and support work throughout Cameroon.
Presenting Pauline Kisanga, the former Regional Coordinator of IBFAN Africa, Mr. Achanyi-Fontem described her as an advocate ambassador of breastfeeding of Africa region. She has published several works including, “The Process for Successful Implementation of ILO Maternity Protection Convention 183 of 2000 at National Level: Africa Regional Experience of Step by Step Action” and “The Protection, Support, and Promotion of Breastfeeding in HIV: Policy Guidelines by IBFAN Africa”.
Pauline is special to Cameroon Link, because in her capacity as the former Regional Coordinator of IBFAN Africa and with the support of Baby Milk Action UK, Cameroon was co-opted and affiliated into the Anglophone and Lusophone IBFAN Africa Group in 2000. With her coaching and constant support, Cameroon Link grew from strength to strength and was recipient of the IBFAN Africa distinction in 2007 in Maputo, Mozambique during the 7th Regional Conference for its commitment and engaging support for the protection and promotion of breastfeeding in the continent as a whole and Cameroon in particular.
Cameroon Link today pilots the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, and the Men’s Initiative of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WABA, while remaining the Focal Point for the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN Africa) in the country. At Cameroon Link, the slogan is, “Babies can’t wait”. Breastfeeding is a baby’s right and it should be on demand and exclusive for the first six months after delivery with complimentary feeding and continued breastfeeding up to 24 months and beyond. Cameroon Link remains more committed than before, especially as the 23rd November 2009 makes its 20th Anniversary.
This means that Cameroon Link celebrates its 20th anniversary with the new initiative, “The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi).” The data and information presented during the WBTi orientation training workshop were based on information collected from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) in Cameroon, statistics from the ministry of public health, ministry of planning, programming and territorial development in Yaoundé, WHO, UNICEF and ILO sources.
It should be noted that comprehensive survey results are published in the DHS final reports approximately 8 – 12 months after the completion of fieldwork while standard reports are approximately 200 pages in length and include topics on household and respondent characteristics, fertility and family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition and HIV/AIDS.
The department for health promotion in the ministry of public health contributed through researched data as the policy and decision making channel within the frame work of its partnership with Cameroon Link Group that reports regularly on all its activities.
Cameroon’s key indicators collection is on-going for revision and publication in April 2010 after the survey on the rights of the child to food. As Cameroon joins the WBTi, it is observed by IBFAN Cameroon Link that there is net progress made already as it scores well in 12 of the 15 key indicator areas. The WBTi training brought to light the gaps and recommendations which will be published in the final report by December 15.

WBTI Training
During the WBTi orientation training workshop organized in Douala by the IBFAN Cameroon Focal Point with the support of IBFAN Africa regional office, it was observed that efforts have been made in the area of Infant and Young Child Feeding with the support of UNICEF. Though there is a net progress in the area of exclusive breastfeeding, statistics have to be collected regularly for up dates starting from the health facilities.

GLOBAL STRATEGY ON IYCF
After the presentation of secondary data in Cameroon during the training, IBFAN Africa consultant, Pauline Kisanga spoke about the evolution of the GSIYCF since 2000, emphasizing on the fact that all countries that endorsed the WHO/WHA recommendations were requested to implement the strategy as national policy.
The GSIYCF was put in place to promote good practices and create supportive environment for the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding with complimentary feeding thereafter up to 24 months and beyond.
The strategy is based on the Innocenti declaration adopted in 1990 during an international meeting in Italy. One of the recommendations is that countries should put in place a national breastfeeding committee with the appointment of a national coordinator by the ministry of health.
With the frame work of the strategy, the ten steps to successfully breastfeeding is implemented, the international code is implemented, mothers and children are protected. The global strategy added more targets to the innocent declaration.
The Director of UniNutri Services insisted on the fact that exclusive breastfeeding should be recommended to mothers with complimentary feeding after six months to prevent malnutrition. Countries throughout the world are adopting national legislation she emphasized, adding that when WHO and the world Health Assembly (WHA) improves on policies, countries are required to also up grade their national policy with the involvement of all stake holders. According to the IBFAN Africa consultant, nutrition promotion goes with breastfeeding, which occupies 60 per cent on the agenda. For this reason, the government should create a national breastfeeding committee and appoint a national coordinator as recommended by the WHA and WHO.

IYCF Problems
• Many governments believe that breastfeeding is natural and that mothers should automatically breastfeed their children. This is a wrong perception of the issue, because even when the act is natural, the mothers have to be supported. In most cases, it is the man who purchases formula for the baby and not the mother. Fathers should be educated as well on the advantages of breastmilk through the creation of support groups throughout the country.
• Breastfeeding and HIV are not understood. Policy makers need to be informed on the advantages of breastfeeding and WHO recommendation. Data needs to be collected, because it is through the analysis of the data that decisions are made during discussion at meetings.
• Since all countries have endorsed the WHA/WHO policies and resolutions, countries just simply need to implement them, especially as malnutrition of infants has been rated as a public health concern.

What is WBTi ?
The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) started in Asia. Before the WBTi, countries were using the WHO IYCF monitoring and evaluation tool and the GLOPAR WABA tool. The new WBTi, is a combination of the WHO and GLOPAR tools to fill gaps which were identified in the previous tools. Many countries are already using the WBTi because it is a simple tool to track progress on the implementation of the Global Strategy. It helps for comparing progress in the different countries, considering the fact that all countries have been requested to monitor the progress of child survival regularly.
The trainer of trainers session organised in Cameroon by the regional coordination of the International Baby Food Action network (IBFAN Africa) is expected to help the government to discover gaps in health investment programme activities.
This will promote best practices; improve on child survival and maternal survival. The WHO tool was simplified by combining GLOPAR from WABA to build the WBTi tool. It works by collecting secondary data and analysing it to come out with the trends.
After the analysis of the data, trends are then used for making decisions to fill the gaps. This helps countries and governments to fill gaps in health investment, programmes and activities. WBTi brings people together to discuss results, since the trends demonstrate achievements and gaps to improve on Infant and Young child feeding.

Breastfeeding and HIV
WHO and WHA recommend AFASS. AFASS stands for the following:
A = Accessibility
F= Feasibilty
A= Affordibilty
S= Sustainability
S= Safety
The above is used for counselling mothers to make well informed choices as far as the nutrition of their children is concerned.
WORK IN GROUPS
The work in groups aimed at verifying the 15 IYCF key indicators used for evaluating countries with the WBTi tool. Within this frame work, the trainers were separated in three different groups and the indicators shared amongst for verification and scoring of Cameroon. Cameroon scored 81/150 by WHO rating analysis standards and this is equivalent to 54 per cent using WBTi tool.

Core Persons & Partners
The WBTi trainers identified core persons and partners who will pilot the initiative in Cameroon and by consensus vote, it was decided that IBFAN Cameroon should coordinate WBTi in Cameroon under the supervision of its national coordinator as team leader.
The WBTi Cameroon core persons identified are: James Achanyi-Fontem (Cameroon Link), Okala Georges (MOH), Tata Japhet (MOH), Mibe Samuel(MOH), Yvonne Bekeny (IBFAN Cam), Florine Nseumi (IBFAN Cam), Annette Efeti (IBFAN Cam)
The WBTI Partners are: WHO, UNICEF, WABA, IBFAN, Plan International, Helen Keller Foundation, Cameroon Link, ACTHU, CAMNAFAW, Fine Forest Foundation, Vine Yard Cameroon, COGESID and Maleo Sante Plus.
Before closing the training of trainers session in Douala, a WBTi action plan with tasks to be accomplished covering the period from November 2009 to March 2010 was put in place. The tasks included preparing a national work plan for collection of WBTi information and writing of a report that will highlight all the 15 indicators used for monitoring and evaluation.
The report needs to be presented to the government (Ministry of Public Health) and a wider audience for validation by November 30. The final WBTi Report on Cameroon will be communicated to IBFAN Africa Regional Coordination by December 15 and the regional coordination of IBFAN Africa will channel will share the report with others in Africa before channelling to IBFAN Asia by December 15 ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

WABA’s GBPM Farewell Party 2008

BUILDING BRIDGES DURING RELAXATION
By Lakshmi Menon
WABA organised a farewell party for all GBPM participants on the last day of the meeting at WABA office. Participants were ferried by bus to WABA office in torrential rain, which had erupted suddenly. Fortunately the strongly erected shamiana in the house compound, provided a good shield against the rain. Guests, including friends and well wishers of WABA, were shown around the office and invited to have the delicious Penang food. We were also treated to Penang’s famous hawker food, prepared by efficient chefs while we waited; some worth mentioning included, unforgettable Laksa (a rather strong noodle soup with fish and prawn paste, onions and pineapple pieces), Char Koey Teao (flat rice noodles fried with shrimps, chicken, eggs, greens and cockles), Ice Kachang (a fabulous dessert with a mix of ice shavings, syrups, beans, nuts, jelly topped with ice cream).
A huge cake in the shape of number 80 to mark Michael Latham’s 80th birthday was brought out to be cut by him. The felicitation of Michael for his contribution to WABA and to the breastfeeding movement touched us all, and quite a few of us were also in awe of Michael’s achievements. And so there was more food, rich food!!! The celebrations continued at another level – the cultural level, even as people could not resist the irresistible food.
Earlier in the day, Audrey Naylor had called for a cultural event “WABA has Talent”.
None of us could have imagined during the past few hectic days of fierce discussions, that there was so much hidden talent amongst us. What we witnessed made us wonder at the creativity and talent which was displayed, which also had us laughing, with many of us in splits.
Clowning around: Two clowns emerged on the scene complete with painted smiles and red noses. Audrey and Sarah hopped about and frisked around making people laugh (and also cry, when tears poured out during hysterical laughter). They handed out colourful waving hands (made of cardboard) so we could “aye” or “nay” when called upon for our opinion of a particular performance.
Judging talent: Judges were appointed to judge the talented. Felicity, Mahmuda Fazal, Nand and Nozipo were nominated judges. Each one gave her/his opinion after each presentation and asked the opinion of the audience. The audience was not in the least reticent. They lustily cheered every actor and waved the colourful hands heartily after every performance.
Songs by little ones and oldies: First, Julianna’s children -10-year-old Shanelle and 7-year-old Shane sang a charming duet. Dr Raj Anand shared his experience with his young patients in his clinic and how he sang to them to dispel their fears and doubts.
The Gender-sensitive Play: Amal and Lakshmi organised a 3-act play on gender sensitiveness. The first scene was at the gynecologist’s when the loving husband and timid wife (played by Marcos Arana and Sita Letchumi) visited a gynecologist (played by Patti Rundal -) for a routine check up. The Dr spoke to the husband about his wife’s condition as if she did not exist. The wife’s attempts to clarify her doubts were brushed away by the solicitous husband who felt she would not understand what the doctor said. The second scene was in the home of a dominating man (played by Dr Prashant Gangal) and his not so timid wife (played by Ali McLaine). The husband was telling his pregnant wife to stop working and take care of their little son and the home, and of course the new born when it arrived. The woman refused to quit her job and said she would be able to cope if he gave up hanging out with his friends or playing cricket on weekends and spent more time in the house, sharing housework and childcare. The third scene was in the factory, where a worker was telling her boss that she was pregnant and wanted information about her maternity entitlements. The boss pointed out that at the time of hiring; she had said she would not be having children. When the worker demanded her rights, the boss offered her two months leave as a favour and instructed her not to inform other workers. The role play was unusual because of reverse roles assumed - Ines Fernandes played the bully boss and James Achanyi took the role of the pregnant female worker (I specify female as even males get pregnant these days). The performance by all actors was simply brilliant.
The Great Canadian Ice Hockey: The Canadian GBPM participants (Betty, Carole, Elaine, Johanna, Lucie & Lucie and Penny) presented us with a game of ice hockey. The two teams were the Canadians representing the Code, WBW and partners such as ILCA, WABA, IBFAN, the Global Strategy against the team representing Multinational companies (MNCs) - Nestle, Gerber, Avent etc. Each player on the MNCs team represented one of these companies. The strategy was to use the key players of those fighting for implementation of the Code and the different WHA resolutions on the side of Canada and the MNCs were all those violating the Code. The referee was meant to be the neutral “United Nations” but there were comments about whether they had been influenced by the multinationals, and finally the refree was selected from a “neutral” country, Egypt. The team used hockey sticks and a puck (a metal disc). The group used hockey terms such as Nestlé getting the first penalty for high sticking and giving the Canadians a penalty shot.  The key player for the penalty shot was the IYCF resolution WHA 61.20 and they scored just before the end of the first half.  At the beginning of the second half, the MNCs brought in their big guys and we saw "follow-up milks" and "RUTF's" on the ice.  The Canadians used their best player "INFACT CANADA" and got a break away to score again and give Canada the win over the multinationals. The game moved at such terrific speed that the spectators were at their wits ended not being able to follow the game. It hardly mattered because it was such fun that we all laughed till we developed a stitch in our sides. It was much later when I tried to find out more about show that I found many of the players themselves had little inkling. Finally managed to get the full details from Carole. How about a WABA Ice Hockey League for the 3rd Global Forum?? Those interested should sign up for the teams and start practising before the final game at Quebec in 2010.
The Drums of Africa: the grand finale was of course the drummers from Africa. James and Nomajoni drummed in accompaniment to the throbbing African music. Fellow Africans, Veronica, Lourdes, Amanda, Joyce and Margaret swung their massive hips to the music and swayed rhythmically. The music was so mesmerizing that it brought everyone to their floor as they all fell under the spell of the music. Who after all could resist such fabulous rhythmic music? Michael Latham, who has his roots in Tanzania, was the first to spring to his feet and he too swayed his slight hips while Felicity joined in the dance. Susan, Ali, and others who were energetically inclined too entered into the fray - by now the dance floor resembled and sounded more like a war zone as the dancers scampered about with whoops of joy. As the night advanced the tempo of the drums increased, so also probably the neighbours’ temper.
We may have been to many such parties in the past, but this one will surely linger in our minds for monthsand years on end. It was so memorable that this time, the GBPM Farewell party had to be documented.

2009 World Breastfeeding Week

Great Outreach In Cameroon
By James Achanyi-Fontem, E-mail: camlink99@gmail.com
Outreach during the World Breastfeeding Week, WBW, in Cameroon was in millions as the Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda, invited men, fathers, and communities to support lactating mothers to accomplish their noble task of breastfeeding babies exclusively for the first six months after birth.
For the first time, the launching of the World Breastfeeding Week was launched out of the nation’s capital of Yaoundé, especially as the event in Obala tied with the theme “Breastfeeding – A Vital Emergency Response: Are We Ready?”.
Minister Andre Mama Fouda thanked his colleagues of the government cabinet , representatives of UN Agencies and the Infant and Young Child Feeding NGOs that turned out to support his ministry with their presence during the mass community event in in Obala.
Cameroon was joining the international community for the 18th time to celebrate wbw, the minister observed, and especially as it was another way of supporting government’s policy in matters of mother and child care. The over 400 mothers and first-time mothers of Obala listened attentively to the minister’s advice and cheered as pertinent infringements to breastfeeding were unmasked.
Minister Andre Mama Fouda sent special kudos to the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, for the many achievements and determination to support fathers, mothers and communities in the promotion of infant and young feeding action in Cameroon.
He lauded the constant financial and material support of UN agencies and international organisations to the Cameroon government for the promotion of mother and child care, and other health programmes. UNICEF Cameroon received special words of thanks for funding the launching event in Obala.
Minister Mama Fouda said, the celebration creates an opportunity to present a balance sheet of the year’s achievements on the path of breastfeeding promotion in Cameroon, and to expand the sensitisation of mothers, first-time mothers, communities and especially health workers on the importance of breastfeeding for the survival of infants.
He echoed that the theme of the celebration this year invites everybody to prepare for emergencies. In the context of Cameroon, efforts are made to supply portable water to communities as a means of avoiding disasters caused by diseases.
The minister told mothers that breastfeeding is indispensable for the growth and well being of the child. Milk and the love of a mother cannot be replaced, he went on. He condemned those who think that it is possible to produce a substance equivalent to breastmilk. Some companies manufacture breastmilk substitute and equate it with breastmilk, Minister Mama Fouda told the large audience present. The minister emphasized, that it is impossible to realize the companies' dreams and breastmilk will remain superior to formula always.Breastmilk is God's gift to humanity.
He testified that their mother breastfed them and they entirely support mothers of today to breastfed their babies exclusively as their mother did. He added that breastmilk is natural and the best for babies because it contains protective elements that cannot be fabricated by the industries.
Formula should be used only in the real cases where the mother would have suffered from an infection and is sick, the minister advised. On attachment, he told mothers in Obala that breastfeeding encourages bonding between the mother and the child. Bonding accelerates growth of the baby, he emphasized.
He revealed that children breastfed never forget their mothers and remain attached even when they become adults. For this reason, mothers should not deprive their children of the above mentioned advantages of breastmilk. While formula needs preparation, breastmilk is ready at all moments. He invited mothers to breastfeed their babies on demand, because the natural milk has no cost.
Addressing teen mothers, the minister said, breastfeeding makes a woman to look more beautiful and their partners, families and communities have to create favourable environment for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in Cameroon.
During the official launching, members of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, mounted a giant exhibition in the public ceremony place and Minister Andre Mama Fouda visited the stands and received some up dated WABA information folders, as he was accompanied by his colleagues of the government cabinet and top UN representatives of agencies based in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon.
For more information, click on the following link or copy and paste on your browser- www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org

Speech on 2009 WBW Launching in Cameroon

Mot du Président de la Fédération des Associations de Soutien à l’Allaitement Maternel au Cameroun, Monsieur James Achanyi-Fontem, à l’occasion du lancement de la SMAM au Cameroun.
Obala, le 6 août 2009

Monsieur le Ministre de la Santé Publique,
Honorables invités
Mesdames, Messieurs,
C’est un honneur pour moi de prendre la parole ici à Obala au nom de la Fédération des Associations de Soutien à l’Allaitement Maternel au Cameroun, en ce jour mémorable à l’occasion de la cérémonie officielle marquant la célébration de la dix huitième Edition de la Semaine Mondiale de l’Allaitement Maternel.
Ce jour nous offre une grande opportunité de mobilisation des populations pour les activités de protection, promotion et soutien de l’Allaitement Maternel.
Excellence, Monsieur le Ministre, notre Fédération a été fondée le 14 septembre 2007 dans le but de soutenir le Ministère de la Santé Publique dans ses missions de promotion, de protection et soutien de l’allaitement maternel auprès des formations sanitaires et des communautés. La vision de FECABPA est de permettre à tous les enfants et leurs mères d’être en bonne santé et de protéger leurs droits.
Monsieur le Ministre de la Santé Publique, il y a deux ans, quatre de nos Associations avaient bénéficié de l’appui de votre Département Ministériel à titre de soutien en matériel. L’année dernière, vous avez permis à 30 de nos membres, de bénéficier d’un renforcement de capacités ici même à OBALA en matière de stratégie de mobilisation, information et éducation des populations. Cette formation nous permet actuellement d’être plus opérationnels et convaincants sur le terrain.
Je voudrais profiter de cette circonstance solennelle, pour vous exprimer notre profonde gratitude pour toutes ces marques d’encouragement à notre endroit.
Permettez moi, Excellence, Monsieur le Ministre, d’exprimer un certain nombre de doléances, qui pourraient rendre notre action beaucoup plus efficace et nous permettre d’atteindre un nombre plus important de personnes dans les communautés du Cameroun.
Il s’agit notamment de :
la mise à notre disposition de matériel éducatif et de mobilisation sociale ;
l’organisation au profit de nos membres, d’autres sessions de formation en allaitement maternel et sur les stratégies de monitoring du code national de commercialisation des substituts du lait maternel signé par le Premier Ministre le 1 er Décembre 2005.
Les formations sur les stratégies de Monitoring du Code National vont accentuer la protection, la promotion et le soutien de l’allaitement maternel; et en même temps amener le Cameroun à se qualifier pour la certification d’un Hôpital Ami des Bébés ou l’initiative d’un Communauté Ami des Bébés par l’OMS/UNICEF. Je suis sûre que le monitoring va aussi augmenter le pourcentage des taux d’allaitement maternel exclusive de 24 % à 35% avant la fin de 2010.
L’encadrement permanent sur le terrain par des équipes de votre département ministériel à titre de supervision ;
La relance de l’appui financier et logistique engagée il y a deux ans ;
His Excellency, after the evaluation of activities of the World Breastfeeding Week in September 2008 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WABA, Cameroon Link Health Development NGO thrillingly won the Gold Medal of the Marathon events competition. Some 198 NGOs in 120 countries went in for the competition and Cameroon won the Gold Medal, which I am happy to present to you here officially in Obala.
With this, His Excellency, we plead that the ministry of public health, which you head and UNICEF Cameroon should support the participation of some active Infant and Young Child Feeding organisations in Cameroon to attend and participate in the WABA Global Forum 3 scheduled in Quebec, Canada in June 2010.
His Excellency, the Minister of Public health, FECABPA finally recommends that the government should urgently put in place a National Code Monitoring Committee, that would suggest punitive measures including business closure, suspension of license or financial penalty for damages caused due to illegal market competition by any company violators of the existing national code. FECABPA suggests that sanctions be included as part of the existing Cameroon National Code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes to strengthen its well formulated articles and encourage effective monitoring strategies that would enforce its application at all levels.
These are the few issues that we happily use this opportunity to call the attention of the government to, during this year’s World Breastfeeding Week 2009.
Excellence, nous vous assurons notre étroite collaboration dans le but d’atteindre ensemble les Objectifs du Millénaire du Développement en ce qui concerne la survie de l’enfant et la santé des mères.
Nous remercions, OMS, UNICEF, WABA, IBFAN, Helen Kelly International, Plan International et tous les autres qui continuent de nous aider dans la promotion de la nutrition infantile au Cameroun.
Je vous remercie pour votre aimable attention.