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Breast Feeding Best Option
Chrispin Inambao
2004-08-19

Dr Libertina Amathila, Minister of Health and Social Services has launched the National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Windhoek.

Breast fed infants are more likely to survive than babies who are given infant formulas, indicates the National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding that was launched in Windhoek last Friday by the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

The Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Libertina Amathila introduced the policy document at the event where the provision of anti-retroviral therapy was expanded on Friday to several state and church-managed hospitals.

The 28-page booklet notes that breastfeeding provides substantial benefits to both children and mothers and that it significantly improves child survival by protecting infants against diarrhoeal diseases, pneumonia and other potential fatal infections.

Breastfeeding enhances the quality of life through its nutritional, psychological and other benefits, it noted. Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) the booklet states that over 1,5 million babies' lives are saved every year through breastfeeding. While a recent WHO corroborative study to assess the effect of breastfeeding on infant mortality clearly showed that formula fed infants are four to six times more likely to die, earlier studies in the Philippines and Brazil have documented the risks of death as over 24 times in non-breastfed infants when compared to breastfed babies.

President Sam Nujoma demonstrated the Government's commitment to breastfeeding when he spearheaded the Baby and Mother Friendly Initiative of 1992. Although the success of the policy implementation has not been evaluated, 100% of Namibia's state and state subsidised missionary hospitals have achieved baby and mother-friendly status, according to the implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

The booklet however notes that exclusive breastfeeding remains low in Namibia at only 25% up to three months and only 3% between four to six months while the rise of HIV has made the picture further complex.

If breastfeeding is allowed to decline further, infant and child mortality would increase and there would be an extra burden on the healthcare system that is already being overloaded with AIDS patients, notes the policy document.

Breastfeeding and appropriate infant and young child feeding, if well practised, would reduce deaths from acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea. According to the Namibia Demographic and Health Survey of the year 2000, 23% of children were found stunted, 26% were underweight and 9% wasted.

The objectives of the policy framework is to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates from the current 3% at four to six months to 15% at six months and to increase the proportion of children still breastfeeding at 18 months from 44% to 54% by the end of 2008.

One of the strategies is to promote breastfeeding and sound infant and young child feeding practices while special support would be availed to young children who do not have biological mothers or whose mothers are unable to feed them due to illness. (Source: New Era, 10 August 2004)

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	Breastfeeding Guidelines (2000-03-03) Breastfeeding benefits may outweigh HIV risk (2007-03-09) Exclusive breastfeeding may reduce risk of mother to child HIV transmission (2005-05-05) Reducing HIV risk in breastfeeding (2004-11-04) Mother's Milk Saves Lives (2006-08-25)

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	Related Health Statistics
	Exclusive breastfeeding rate (2002-12-09) Diarrhoea incidence under 5 years (per 1 000) (0000-00-00) Number of orphans (2007-05-03) Vitamin A coverage children 12-59 months (2005-06-06) Vitamin A coverage infants 6-11 months (2005-06-06)

	Related Events
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