BOTSWANA

 AFFILIATE GROUP 1.

The Nutrition Unit operates at national level as a full component of government to improve the overall nutritional status of all Batswana.

Botswana Breastfeeding Association (BOBA)

BOBA, a new breastfeeding NGO, has been formed due to the expressed need for enhanced focus on breastfeeding issues.

The NGO was founded in 1999 and officially registered in 2000 through an IBFAN Africa and DGIS grant programme.

CAMEROON

Cameroon Link

The organisation was established in 1991 and officially registered in 1992 as an NGO with a primary goal of addressing health communication, environmental needs and humanitarian assistance issues. The NGO affiliated to IBFAN Africa in 2000 but had already been active in Nestle Boycott through the Baby Milk Action Campaigns since approximately 1993, in English speaking South West and North West provinces of Cameroon.

A country law (The Inter-Ministerial Order) is in place and is currently under modification to conform to Subsequent WHA new Resolutions.

Paid maternity leave of 14 weeks.

ERITREA

Ministry of Health

The Eritrean government is one of those best committed to infant feeding.  The government has achieved a national goal to make all hospitals baby friendly since 1995 against heavy odds. The government gets good support from UNICEF.

Being studied

Maternity leave of 12 weeks without any specification on benefits.

All 46 hospitals in Eritrea accredited baby friendly. 

ETHIOPIA

 Ministry of Health

The Ministry of Health in Ethiopia promotes breastfeeding  within its other health sector programmes. In 1984, a Breastfeeding Information Group (a network of health professionals and others) was formed, to improve action for breastfeeding, with the assistance of UNICEF.

More recently IBFAN Africa through its new group is improving actions for infant and young child feeding.

Few provisions in other laws and measure drafted and awaiting approval.

Employer paid maternity leave of 13 weeks and 5 paternity leave days.

No hospital accredited out of 224

WUBESHET MEKURIA

IBFAN Africa established a new contact in 1997 and by the year 2000, a new NGO had been formed and is based in Dilla University.

GAMBIA

Ministry of Health

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health is responsible for the support, promotion and protection of breastfeeding nationally.

The Unit enjoys the political commitment of the Ministry and strong community acceptance of her activities.

Draft code is currently awaiting enactment into law. 

Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks

A recommendation based on a survey finding to be included in National Nutritional Policy under draft.

No hospitals accredited out of 19 due to lack of assessment yet the hospitals have been implementing part of the BFHI.

GHANA

Ghana Infant Nutrition Action Network (GINAN)

GINAN is the strongest network in Accra and the most active in infant and young child nutrition activities. It was formed in 1987. Although small, the network is well organized and boasts of the best trained people in breastfeeding issues in Ghana. It has formed over 80 mother support groups.

The network is operating nationally and enjoys the membership of highly skilled members and the support of UNICEF, WHO and the Ministry of Health.

GINAN was very instrumental in the national legislation on the code enacted as law in 2000.

Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks.

Draft Policy on HIV and Infant Feeding.

39 hospitals out of 77 have been accredited baby friendly.

KENYA

Kenya Food & Nutrition Action Network (KEFAN)

KEFAN is a national NGO that was formed in 1992, with the objective of improving infant and young child’s health. It is a relatively new NGO but with highly skilled personnel on lactation management who work hand in hand with the Ministry of Health and IBFAN Africa.

National legislation on the code in place but needs reviewing, as it is one of the first to be enacted as law.

Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks.

Kenya has some guidelines on feeding of infants in HIV but does not have a clear national policy. An MTCT project is going on in 3 sites.

232 hospitals accredited baby friendly, representing 66% of country total.

AFFILIATE GROUP 2

Breastfeeding Information Group (BIG)

The organisation is an NGO formed in 1978 and has been active in breastfeeding promotion for over 20 years.

LESOTHO

Lesotho Breastfeeding Promotion Network, (LBPN)

LBPN, is an NGO promoting breastfeeding for over 20 years. It works very closely with the Ministry of Health of Lesotho and IBFAN Africa, to maintain its critical mass of national trainers and assessors. These were retrained in 2000/2001.

LBPN is built on breastfeeding experience of almost 20 years that may be exploited for good, logistics permitting through the potential of multi-sectoral collaboration.

A draft exists and is being reviewed.

Employer paid maternity leave of 60 working days (optional in private sector).

Plans are afoot for the establishment of a public policy on MTCT and HIV and infant feeding.

There are 7 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 18.

MALAWI

 Ministry of Health and Population

 Malawi does not have an IBFAN group but has very committed IBFAN members in the Ministry of Health.  The Ministry has countrywide infant feeding programmes. In its national plan of Action for Nutrition, there is a special national coordinator of breastfeeding. A national Breastfeeding Committee and Task Forces also exist

 Final draft in place.

 Paid maternity leave of 12 weeks for public sector employees and 8 weeks for the private sector.

 Draft National policy.

 13 hospitals out of 48 accredited baby friendly.

MAURITIUS

 Mauritius Action for the Promotion of Breastfeeding Information and Nutrition (Mauritius) MAPBIN

 MAPBIN is an NGO that has designated a wing, ICP to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding. For many years it was the only body supporting breastfeeding. The NGO is tasked with playing a major role in breastfeeding support and the Ministry funded national health care extensively and to good effect.

 Mauritius has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates due to aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes by babymilk companies.

 Lobbying the government regarding the legislation.

No national policy in the context of HIV

Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks.

6 out of 9 hospitals are baby friendly

NAMIBIA

 Ministry of Health an Social Services

 The ministry through her Nutrition Unit and BFHI national Committee has worked hard to promote breastfeeding in Namibia.

 Namibia is committed to breastfeeding at the highest level. His Excellency Sam Nujoma, the president participated in accreditation of the first hospital to become baby friendly.  There is a consultative culture in decision-making, and the ministry is a plus for breastfeeding issues.

 The code of Marketing is part of Public Health Act, and is awaiting legislation.

 Paid maternity leave of 2 months

 Namibia has a comprehensive national draft policy on infant and young child feeding, but its old policy is still valid.

 All 35 hospitals accredited baby friendly.

 Breastfeeding Association of Namibia ( BAN)

 The Association was formed in 1979 and officially registered as an NGO after national independence in 1991. Between 1996 and 1997, the NGO enjoyed strong growth that saw her have 6 part time staff, 34 volunteers and 100 mothers. The NGO has in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and IBFAN Africa developed a national policy on infant feeding in the context of HIV.

NIGERIA

 Breastfeeding Promotion and Counselling Group (BPCG)

 The BPCG is an NGO that was founded   in 1988. The organisation is born from the generalised lack of community support for breastfeeding mothers. This made it extremely difficult for mothers to continue optimal breastfeeding after discharge from hospital following delivery. The NGO has programmes and has a wealth of experience. It has managed to train many health professionals and community support groups.

 Voluntary Code exists and is being updated, and monitored.

 Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks except for two provinces that have 14 weeks of employer paid maternity leave.

 National policy on MTCT of HIV and HIV/infant feeding in place.

BFHI

 1417 hospitals designated baby friendly out of 7500.

SIERRA LEONE

 Ministry of Health

 The Ministry implements all health sector programmes nationally.  Due to war and poor communication not much is known about IYCF.

 In 1994 a draft Code was awaiting approval

SOMALIA

 Ministry of Health

 The ministry strives to improve public health care to 60% of those settled and nomadic populations. Breastfeeding is one of the crucial issues for the Ministry of Health and is co-ordinated by the Nutrition Unit and a Task Force.

Representatives of women’s groups work hand in hand with the government and that has ensured ownership by the community and sustenance of breastfeeding.  Of course there is lack of a recognisable government that can consolidate health plans, prioritise breastfeeding and invest widely in social upliftment programmes.  IBFAN Africa works closely with the country through UNICEF. Nairobi, which houses staff for Somalia, and through Hargaisa.

 Draft

 Employer paid maternity leave of 4 months.

 No national policy

 13 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 129.

SOUTH AFRICA

 The Department of Health, Nutrition Unit

 The young national government of diverse cultures, through the central government leads 9 provincial Departments of Health using the Nutrition Directorate to implement breastfeeding and other nutrition activities nationally. The Directorate is headed by a Director who is responsible for all nutrition issue in the country in collaboration with the 9 provincial departments. The government operative is a plus for policy development and programme funding. It is one of the leading countries investing in social upliftment programmes extensively. In the last two years South Africa has excelled in its BFHI activities and has recently improved its national coordination. There are breastfeeding liason groups in all 9 provinces.

 A voluntary Code is being reviewed.

 Paid maternity leave of 4 months.

 A National policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding is in place.

 About 36 hospitals have been designated baby friendly out of 828

SUDAN

 Sudanese Association for Breastfeeding Action (SABA)

 SABA is an NGO that was formed with the objective of protecting, supporting and promoting breastfeeding, complementing national activities. There was better programme implementation and reporting between 1997 and 2000. The NGO has split into two organisations, SABA and SCHPO, (Sudanese Community Health Promotion Organisation). This has been an added advantage for promotion of infant and young child feeding.

 Draft Code in place.

 Less than 12 weeks of employer paid maternity leave and 1 year of government paid leave, private 8 weeks only.

 Draft policy in place.

 25 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 215.

SWAZILAND

 Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network (SINAN) & National Nutrition Council (NNC)

 The government of Swaziland is greatly committed to breastfeeding, and infant and young child nutrition. The good relationships of the NGO with the government that has seen the NGO get a government subvention, is the cornerstone of breastfeeding activities in the country but the lack of approved policies create hindrances for the organization. The NGO has excellent mother support groups and the presence of the regional coordinating office for IBFAN Africa in Swaziland has had an added advantage in capacity development and advocacy for funding.

 Final Draft measure, awaits the enactment process.

 Public sector employer paid maternity leave of 3 months.

Private sector employer paid maternity leave of first 6 weeks (another 6 weeks allowed but payment at employers discretion).

 Guidelines in place, Now drafting a National policy.

 5 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 6.

TANZANIA

 Tanzania Food and Nutrition Commission (TFNC)

 The TFNC was instituted in 1973 as Nutrition Institute for the country. In 1987, the Nutrition Institute initiated a breastfeeding programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. There exists a national Consultative Group to oversee activities of the IYCF and this group developed a comprehensive 5-year progamme that has been reviewed every five years since then.

 The organization has a well-coordinated programme, has had major achievements in the region and has a wealth of experience in infant and young child feeding, but funding is becoming a critical problem.

 A law since 1994.

 Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks.

 A National Policy exists. A pilot project as an intervention is under implementation in several areas towards addressing MTCT. There is no free infant formula for the pilots.

 55 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 185.

 The Centre for Counselling, Nutrition and Health Care (COUNSENUTH)

 The organisation is relatively young, was formed in 1998 and registered as an NGO by concerned citizens out of a concern for a lack of counselling services on appropriate feeding of all people, including infants. The organisation has adopted as a major strategy, the provision of counselling services to complement work done by the TFNC and the Ministry of Health, The NGO has done much on HIV/infant feeding and the formation of mother support groups.

UGANDA

 AFFILIATE GROUP

 Uganda Lactation Management Education Training (ULMET)

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 ULMET is an NGO that was formed in 1989. It has now a membership of 40 people consisting of doctors, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, social workers, teachers and mothers implementing breastfeeding activities. A highly experienced NGO in breastfeeding and currently runs some successful programmes which can be used as a model for the rest of the region.

 CODE

 Enacted into a country law (Regulations 76, Food and Drugs Regulation, 1997).

 MATERNITY PROTECTION

 Less than 6 weeks of employer paid maternity leave.

 HIV/INFANT FEEDING

 A draft policy in place. Pilot project to reduce MTCT under implementation in several sites.

 BFHI

 One hospital accredited out of 434.

AFFILIATE GROUP 1

 National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) and Breastfeeding Association of Zambia

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 The organisation is a statutory body established by an act of parliament in 1967 under the Ministry of Health to advise on and promote matters of food and nutrition. The Nutrition Commission is an authority on nutrition in the country and has a comprehensive programme on infant and young child feeding. It has excellent in community support of breastfeeding. There is good collaboration between the Ministry and the NGO.

 CODE

 Voluntary Code in place and is now being reviewed.

 MATERNITY PROTECTION

 Employer paid maternity leave of 12 weeks

 HIV/INFANT FEEDING

 National policy in place.

 BFHI

 40 hospitals accredited baby friendly out of 200.

 AFFILIATE GROUP

 Ministry of Health & Child Welfare &Nutrition Unit

 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

 The government operative is a plus for policy development, & implementation and programme funding, which has been accessed from a wider donor base. This is further supported by a good alignment with international links. Zimbabwe has strong expertise and one of the best breastfeeding programmes in Africa.

 CODE

 Enacted into a country law in 1995, and well monitored.

 MATERNITY PROTECTION

 Public sector paid maternity leave of 90 days.