International Baby Food Action Network

VERTICAL TRANSMISSION CUT BY 99%

International researchers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Botswana, have discovered that anti retroviral drugs given to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers reduce mother to child transmission of HIV by 99%, this is according to The New England Journal of Medicine. The ground breaking discovery, which is the lowest in Africa, was made after a clinical study led by Robert Shapiro, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Botswana Harvard Partnership and the MoH. Full Version

BREASTFEEDING AS MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHING THE MDGs

Despite a wide range of political and economic philosophies, the leaders of the world’s nations (at least the leaders of the 192 member-states of the United Nations) have finally agreed upon a single goal, rather, a collection of eight goals. During the 2000 Millennium Summit in New York City, the world’s leaders ratified the United Nations Millennium Declaration from which the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are taken. The eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender equality; reduction of child mortality rates; improvement of maternal health; combat of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malarial and other diseases; the safeguarding of environmental sustainability; and the strengthening of a global partnership for future development are the eight MDGs that are to be met by 2015. Full Version

World Health Assembly adopts two landmark Resolutions on the promotion of junk foods and baby foods

21st May 2010

Palais des Nations, Geneva
The Sixty-third session of the World Health Assembly took place in Geneva during 17–21 May 2010. At this session, the Health Assembly discussed a number of public health issues, including:
• Implementation of the International Health Regulations (2005);
• Monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals;
• Strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol; and
• Counterfeit medical products.
The Health Assembly also discussed the programme budget, administration and management matters of WHO. READ MORE

BIATHLON 2010: RIDE & RUN TO SAVE A CHILD!

IBFAN Africa and SINAN (Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network) jointly hosted a biathlon event on March 20, 2010. The objective of the event was to create awareness among the youth about optimal infant feeding practices. Many of Swaziland’s youth are sexually active — and some are already parents — yet they lack this vital information. The event was aimed at 5—18 year olds and was well-attended with a large number of parents present. .. Read More

BREASTFEEDING: IS A MOTHERS RIGHT REGARDLESS OF HER LOCATION

The gift of life is the most precious thing a mother can impart to her child; breastfeeding is arguably the second. Baby formula can neither adequately replace the health benefits that breast milk provides nor does it replace the kind of early intimate relationship between a mother and a child that breastfeeding fosters. READ MORE

Bottle-fed babies may eat more, study hints

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies who are bottle-fed early on may consume more calories later in infancy than babies who are exclusively breastfed, a study published Monday suggests.

Researchers found that among 1,250 infants followed for the first year of life, those who were bottle-fed during their first six months -- whether formula or pumped breast milk -- showed less appetite "self-regulation" later in infancy.
The investigators say this so-called "bottle effect" could be one reason that studies have found a correlation between breastfeeding and a lower risk of childhood obesity. Read More

WBTI TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA

IBFAN Africa conducted a two-day WBTi training in South Africa which was well attended by 16 participants, mostly managers representing Nutrition Departments at National and Provincial level with some representatives of Non Governmental Organisations NGOs) including AED and JSI. A representative from the Ministry of Labour also attended.

Ann Behr, Deputy Director of National Department of Ministry of Health, opened the meeting on behalf of The Director, Lynn Moeng. The training was facilitated by, Thulani Maphosa, Chief Program Officer for IBFAN Africa. Read More

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