Rapport de la 8e Assemblée Ordinaire de la FECABPA

Par Tsenou Martine Yolande
Le 18 Février de l’année 2011, s’est tenue au siège de Cameroon Link à Douala la 8e Assemblée ordinaire de la FECABPA. L’association hôte étant COGESID Mabanda. Les membres commence par élire la présidente de séance, Mme Priscilla Mouto, qui a présenté l’ordre du jour qui a porté sur :
 L’accueil et l’installation des membres
 La prière
 Présentation des membres et les invites
 Le Mot de Bienvenue de la présidente de COGESID Mabanda
 Rapport de la dernière réunion de la FECABPA
 Préparation de la SMAM 2011
 Plan d’action de la FECABPA 2011
 Rapport Financier 2010 – 2011
 Divers
 Clôture des débats et collation
Etaient présentes a cette rencontre : 16 membres représentants 09 associations active de la fédération bases à Douala, Yaoundé et Ebolowa. La couverture médiatique était assurée par la Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) et Canal 2 Tv. La prière a été dirigée par Mme Ossombe de CASAMAC Ebolowa et elle a fait suite à la présentation individuelle des membres.

Le Mot de la présidente de COGESID Mabanda

Il a porté sur l’accueil des membres, tout en souhaitant la bienvenue aux membres. Mme Mary Ngwa a souhaite que les travaux se déroulent bien avec les contributions de tous. Elle a tenu à noter que COGESID Mabanda a participer au Comice Agro-Pastorale d’Ebolowa en janvier 2011.

Mot du Président de l’Initiative des Hommes de COGESID Mabanda

Présenté par M. Samuel Mbah Ndakwe, qui a rappelé aux membres de la FECABPA que le groupe d’initiative d’hommes de COGESID Mabanda a été installe depuis deux ans et ses activités consistent à :
 Soutenir les mères allaitantes
 Mobilisation et sensibilisation des populations de Mabanda en vue d’accroitre le nombre de mamans qui pratiquent l’allaitement maternel exclusif pendant les premiers six mois de la vie de l’enfant, suivi par les compliments en continuant à allaiter jusqu'à 24 mois et plus.
M. Samuel Mbah Ndakwe a observe qu’il y a du progrès parce que beaucoup des mamans comprennent le conseil d’Oms et UNICEF déjà. Il a terminé son propos en souhaitant aux membres de la FECABPA un bon séjour à Douala.

Rapport de la dernière réunion de FECABPA

En absence de la secrétaire général de la FECABPA empêché, le président national, James Achanyi Fontem a récapitulé les activités réalisé en 2010 :
• La tenue des trois assemblées générales à Yaounde, Douala et au Port So’o Mbalmayo.
• La forte participation pendant la Semaine Mondiale de l’allaitement maternel (SMAM 2010) en commençant par le lancement à Yaoundé par Son Excellence, Monsieur le Ministre de la Sante Publique, André Mama Fouda en présences des représentants de l’oms et UNICEF.
• La FECABPA a pris part à la 8e Conférence Régionale de l’IBFAN Africa à Port Louis, L’ile Mauritius en septembre 2010, au Forum Global des Partenaires aux Soutiens de l’allaitement maternel (GBPF) de WABA à Penang, en Malaisie en octobre 2010, au 6e Forum de Commonwealth of Learning à Kochi en l’Inde en novembre 2010 et au Festival International de Thèbes à Luxor, en Egypte en janvier 2011.
• Le président national de la FECABPA a cite le programme pilot soutenue par l’Agence du Commonwealth a Vancouver, Canada dans le département de Lebialem dans la région du sud ouest au Cameroun.
Ce projet est réalisé avec la collaboration de la Radio Rurale Communautaire de Lebialem qui a crée l’espace dans la grille des programme pour la réalisation des émissions spéciales dans le cadre de la promotion de la sante de la mère et l’enfant. Plus des 20 épisodes seront réalisés avec les formations, conférences et table ronds avant novembre 2011.
Le briefing des ces multiple voyages et action étaient rapportés dans le cadre des orientations générales des activités de la FECABPA pour 2011.

Orientation Générale de la FECABPA en 2011

Les orientations ont été présentées par le président national de la FECABPA, James Achanyi-Fontem et ont consistés en
 La recherche de partenariat avec le MINSANTE, MINPROFF, OMS, UNICEF, GTZ et autres.
 Focalisation des activités sur les jeunes car le thème de la SMAM 2011 porte sur le jeune a savoir ‘’Parle moi de l’allaitement’’.
 Recherche des financements des activités par le MINSANTE.
 La rotation des réunions de la FECABPA aux sièges des associations membres pour le renforcement des capacités des adhérentes.
 Le rapprochement des associations aux services de districts de sante
 Demande d’audience pour`la rencontre avec le MINSANTE
 Participation au recensement des associations par le MINSANTE et
 L’annonce de renouvellement du Conseil d’Administration de la FECABPA en septembre 2011.
Tous les associations affilie à la FECABPA doivent avoir leur siège et un certain matériel didactique pour justifie l’existence réel dans leur district de sante respective.

Pendant des exchanges, le délégué de l’association ‘Maleo Santé +’, Mme Kalngui Tanssar Florence, a ouvert la brèche du Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme et de la Familles, qui travaille avec les mairies et les associations des femmes.

Répondant à une question relative au recensement des associations de santé organise par le ministère de la santé publique en octobre et novembre 2010, M. James Achanyi-Fontem a cite les pièces à fournir :
 Le récépissé de légalisation signe par un Préfet, des statuts et règlement intérieur,
 Les rapports d’activités de l’année écoulée,
 Le plan d’action budgétisé de l’année en cour,
 Une attestation de Compte Bancaire
 Un plan de situation de l’association
 Une attestation de reconnaissance par le Chef de Service de District de Santé ou le délégué régional de la sante publique
 Les documents relatifs à l’appartenance à un réseau des associations reconnu.

Préparations de la SMAM 2011

Le theme envoyé par le secrétariat international de WABA a été présenté par M. James Achanyi-Fontem, le président de la FECABPA, qui est en même temps le coordinateur international d’initiative d’homme de WABA. Il s’agit de ‘’Parle moi de l’allaitement maternel’’. Il a préconisé que les associations réfléchissent déjà sur les plans d’action et que les activités soient beaucoup plus orientées vers les jeunes, avec les stratégies a mettre en place pour sensibiliser un grand nombre de jeunes.

Rapport d’activités

Les membres se sont félicités du fait que toutes les réunions statutaires programmées en 2010 ont été tenues. Les membres de la FECABPA ont visités l’AFFE au Pont So’o de Mbalmayo, NOLFOWOP au Cite de Biyem Assi de Yaoundé et COGESID de Bonamikano.
La FECABPA a fortement participé à la SMAM 2010 et les activités programmes ont été réalisées. Certaines associations et ONG de sante recenses figurent déjà dans le ficher du MINSANTE. Ces organisations ont reçus les carte des vœux 2011 transmissent par les délégations régionales de sante publique du Cameroun. La FECABPA a participé à tous les grands rendez-vous régional et international.

Rapport Financier 2010/2011

La FECABPA a fonctionne avec un maigre budget de CFA 435.000 cotise par les membres. Le jour de la tenue de l’assemblée générale ordinaire de Douala, il restait CFA 85.000 dans le compte de la fédération ouverte. Un deuxième compte bancaire devait être ouvert à Yaoundé pour faciliter l’exécution des activités approuves par le conseil d’administration. Le compte de Yaoundé n’est toujours pas ouvert. Pour la contribution annuelle 2011, Maleo Sante + cotisé CFA 15.000 et Cameroon Link a cotisé CFA 10.000. Le total en compte s’élève à CFA 110.000 (18 février 2011)

Divers
La date de la prochaine assemblée générale est fixée au 25 juin 2011 à Ebolowa. CASAMAC a la responsabilité d’accueillir les membres à Ebolowa dans la région du Sud Cameroun. Pour clôturer les assisses, le président de la FECABPA a présenté quelques sites internet important, comment ouvrir les sites internet et que les membres pourrons visiter pour avoir des informations relatives a l’allaitement maternel. C’est dans un ambiance conviviale que les membres ont écrire un mémorandum adressé à Son Excellence, Monsieur Le Ministre de la Sante Publique dans le cadre de renforcement de la collaboration et coopération. Le rendez vous est pris pour Ebolowa le 25 juin 2011.

Africa Rekindles Child Survival In Mauritius

Africa rekindled Child Survival and maternal health interventions towards the attainment of Millennium Development Goals through effective integration of Infant and Young Child Feeding Programmes at Port Louis, Mauritius from the 20th September 2010.Men were really involved in this conference. Just read through this page and discover it for yourself.It was also gender oriented...
The conference was organised by the International Baby Food Action Network, IBFAN Africa with the support of the World Health Organisation,UNICEF and the government of Mauritius.It would be recalled that the Regional IBFAN Africa office supports 32 countries: 27 countries in Anglophone Africa:Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe and 5 countries in Lusophone Africa:Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tomé & Principe.
Countries in the African region as well as world-wide, pledged to reduce under-five mortality rate by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015. “Child survival and maternity health” is the Millennium Development Goal 4.
Subsequently, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued Infant Feeding Guidelines which recommended that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.
It is estimated that 10% to 15% of under-five deaths in resource poor countries can be prevented through achievement of 90% coverage with exclusive breastfeeding alone. Studies highlight that breastfed infants have fewer respiratory and diarrhoeal illnesses, with an overall decrease in the hospitalization rates than non-breastfed infants.
It is estimated that reaching all infants with a package of interventions to protect, promote and support optimal infant and young child feeding practices - breastfeeding and complementary feeding can contribute to preventing 1.4 million and 600,000 child deaths respectively, or just over a fifth of the total annual child deaths.
The good news is that breastfeeding rates are not declining any more on a global level and have increased during the last decade in many countries, due to concerted programming efforts. Recent data highlights that there has been substantial and encouraging progress over the last 10 years in over a dozen countries, where exclusive breastfeeding rates increased by 20 percentage points or more (UNICEF database, 2007).
Many of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. These successes show that progress is possible, even in challenging situations. Positive outcomes are achieved when countries implement at scale, a comprehensive approach to improving infant feeding practices. This could include efforts at the level of policy and legislation, health system strengthening and capacity building, community-level action and behaviour change communication initiatives.
Improving breastfeeding practices requires behaviour change, something that does not happen
spontaneously and without encouragement and support at the family and community levels. This effort is recognized in the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, which includes community based interventions as one of the new operational targets.
Given the fact that women’s capability to breastfeed is determined by both social and cultural factors, as well as medical and technical factors, mainstreaming IYCF requires both communication for behaviour change at all levels of the population, as well as skilled counseling and guidance given to women from the time of childbirth onwards. Mainstreaming of optimal IYCF, inclusion of breastfeeding indicators in outcome evaluations, capacity building for effective improvement in breastfeeding rates and building public awareness on the importance of breastfeeding is crucial to meet MDG-4, for improving child survival is of immense importance for the Africa network as well as to fulfill the global desire to achieve the MDGs for nutrition and child survival.
Evidence based preventive measures like optimal infant and young child feeding are important tools to achieve these goals. For the African continent, there is an urgent need to contribute to the ongoing efforts by various partners including NGOs, government and UN agencies.
Each member of the network must impart the essential service of infant feeding counselling to the mothers and families coming in contact with him/her. This may require sensitization of everyone coming in contact with the mother and counselling on infant feeding by a trained person.

Conference Background

IBFAN Africa Regional Meeting is a strategic planning activity that is held once every three years for IBFAN members in the Anglophone and Lusophone countries. The meeting hosts National Coordinators of infant and young child feeding programmes and group leaders from about 33 member countries in Africa. To attend these meetings, IBFAN friends, partners, donors and collaborators are also invited.
The Regional Meeting in Muritius was an opportunity to:
• Enrich and update participants on new issues and developments on Infant and Young Child Feeding;
• Provide a forum for reviewing progress of our work and sharing of experiences and information;
• Create consensus on interpretation of new knowledge and matters of mutual benefits, and
• Make recommendations on the strategic direction for the Network in IYCF for the next 3 years.
• Regional Meetings are also an opportunity for IBFAN members to elect the IBFAN Africa Advisory Committee (IAAC) members. The term of office of Dr. Lourdes Fidalgo of Mozambique as chairperson was extended for another three years. The Advisory Committee formulates major IBFAN regional policies and advices the Regional Coordinator on issues of implementation and coordination of regional programme.

ABOUT IBFAN

IBFAN represents a global network linking over 200 groups in around 100 countries both in the North and the South. It was founded by a number of NGOs in 1979, following a WHO/ UNICEF international meeting on IYCF. This meeting culminated in the adoption of the International Code on Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. The Code was adopted in 1981 by an overwhelming majority of 118 Member States. IBFAN was given the mandate to support governments in adopting, implementing and monitoring compliance to the Code.
The 8th IBFAN Africa Conference in Mauritius was the first during the mandate of the current Regional Coordinator, Joyce Chanetsa.
Joyce brought in key international facilitators to the conference in Mauritius: Dr. Linda Beyer of UNICEF presented the paper on the work of her organisation and current orientations, Dr. Charles Moses Sagoe of WHO spoke on the new recommendations relevant to breastfeeding in the context of HIV, Dr. J.P. Dadhich, who is National Coordinator of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India(BPNI)to talk about the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative(WBTi), Mr. Hussein H.T. Tarimo, who works with the Ministry of health in Gabrone, Botswana (Food Safety Principal Scientific Officer), Eliane Petitat-Côté from IBFAN-GIFA in Switzerland, who addressed human rights based approaches, as member of the Child Rights Commission and Yousouf Jhugroo, Chief Executive of the Institute for Consumer Protection, Mauritian Action for the promotion of Breastfeeding and Infant Nutrition just to name a few. Yousouf was the key host person of the IBFAN Africa Conference. He put the participants in Manisa Beach Hotel and we use this opportunity to express thanks and gratitude for the hospitality of the hotel management and staff.
The 8th IBFAN Africa Regional Conference was one of success stories, especially as country progress on Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and community Mother and Baby Friendly Initiative(BFCI) were highlighted amongst other issues. Cameroon chaired the session on Thursday, 23rd September 2010 on collaboration issues and election of the new board.
The peak of the IBFAN Africa conference was the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration and the award of certificates to meritorious individuals and groups. Cameroon bagged a Certificate of Appreciation for its indefatigable work on behalf of Africa's women and children and assiduous reporting to IBFAN Africa.This page has been brought to you by Cameroon Link for sharing.

FECABPA HOLDS ANNUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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 benefited 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.

BREASTFEEDING IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

By James Achanyi-Fontem
Coordinator, WABA Men's Initiative
E-mail:camlink99@gmail.com
More than 20 health and nutrition associations and non governmental organisations went into partnership with the Cameroon ministry of public health to transfer various messages in the communities within the theme of the World Breastfeeding Week 2009.
Cameroon Link, AFFE Nyong et So’o, Ahead, Alternative Sante, ASSF Douala, CAFOW Yaounde, CAMNAFAW, FEMEC, CIFAS, COGESID Mabanda, COGESID Bonamikano, Optimeo, Madi Madi Group, FESADE, Nka’ah Women of Bamenda, Nolfowop, Step Ministry, UFAPROD Mfou, Maleo Sante Plus, Fine Forest Foundation and CASAMAC were deployed by the ministry of public health in the different health districts of Cameroon during the week.
Four of the above organisations benefit from seedgrants from the ministry of public health two years ago and in 2008, 30 members of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, benefitted from capacity building infant and young child feeding counselling training in Obala. The turn out and deeds were justification for the declaration of Dr. Aissata Ba Sidibe, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Cameroon, who congratulated the Cameroon government for the efforts made so far.
Activities in Cameroon were centred on population and media information days in the regions, educative talks, project of films on breastfeeding promotion strategies, workshop on breastfeeding in emergencies, conferences, round tables and code monitoring of the marketing of breastmilk substitute violations in health facilities and super markets.
During a meeting on July 14, members of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, had proposed that manufacturers of primary and secondary school exercise books should place breastfeeding promotion slogans on their products as a means sending out the messages to all homes.
In 2008, it was the mobile telephone service provider, MTN, which sent out the WBW theme to over 2.000.000 telephone subscribers. To ameliorate capacities of the new comers to the Federation of nutrition association, FECABPA, assisted most of its affiliates on the field as a means of consolidating their implantation in the health areas and health districts of Cameroon.
Le Cercle des Amis pour le Soutien en Allaitement Maternel et Alimentation au Cameroun, CASAMAC, was registered as the newest affiliate from Ebolowa, south region of Cameroon and Mutuelle de Sante du District d’Obala in the Centre region. Maleo Sante Plus and Optimeo Youth Movement from Douala participated in the official launching of the world breastfeeding week in Cameroon for the first time.
At the centre of the action of CASAMAC like other organisations, is the fight for the reduction of infant mortality. This explains why apart from promoting the affective link between the mother and baby, these association are involved in counselling of parents, organisation of voluntary HIV testing, promotion of breastmilk banks and the prescription of the use of tea cups and not bottles amongst others.
It would be recalled that the Cameroon government encourages all initiatives that favour the promotion of the health of mothers and children. According to the statement issued by UNICEF this year, around 9 million children under five die every year, largely from preventable causes. And Lancet says, optimal breastfeeding in the first two years of life, especially exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, can have the single largest impact on child survival of all preventive interventions, with the potential to prevent 12 to 15% of all under age 5 deaths in the developing world.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week provided an opportunity to sensitize policy-makers, donors, implementing partners and the general public to the benefits of breastfeeding, to its particular importance in emergency situations and to the need to protect and support mothers to breastfeeding during emergencies.
Two friends of Cameroon Link, Tobias Zick from Germany and Per-Anders Pettersson from Sweden support the action plan of the World Breastfeeding Week in Cameroon which included using the opportunity to call upon companies and their leaders to end all kinds of promotion of baby foods by 2015.
In the press release by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WABA, it had been echoed that emergencies can happen anywhere in the world, and that infants and young children are especially vulnerable to malnutrition, illness and death in these situations. No matter the type of emergency situation, the story is the same: Breastfeeding is a lifeline and a shield that protects infants in emergencies.
For more information on the World Breastfeeding Week, click on the following link or copy and paste on your browser - http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/worldwide.htm

Code Monitoring Campaign During WBW 2009

European Volunteers Support Cameroon Link Code Monitoring Campaign During WBW 2009 In Douala
Tobias Zick of the German Neon Magazine in Munchen and Per-Anders Pettersson, Swedish Freelance Photographer based in South Africa joined the Cameroon Link team in Douala to assist in the execution of the world breastfeeding week action plan 2009.
The volunteers visited the Bamenda, North West highlands to witness how illegal milk market competition by companies was affecting breeders in Cameroon, who are facing problems with the distribution of their fresh cow milk collected in the region.
Both Tobias and Per-Anders accompanied Cameroon Link in its journey from health area to health area in Bonendale, Bonamikano, Ngwele and Grand Hangar in the Douala city neighbour, before swiftly witnessing the company violations at the Bonassama District Hospital in Bonaberi and CEBEC Protestant Hospital in Sodiko-Douala.
As Cameroon Link and partner network associations like COGESID Mambanda, COGESID Bonamikano and ASSF Ngwele echoed messages relevant to the theme of the world breastfeeding week 2009 during educative talks within their communities and calling on the population to join in campaign for protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding during emergencies, Tobias Zick from Germany and Per-Anders Pettersson of Swedish origin conducted interviews on the strategies put in place by the company violators of the international and national Code.
In Bamenda, they had collected information on the consequences of European milk powder dumping. Tobias was interested particularly about the extent to which imported milk powders distort market chances for farmers in Cameroon, while documenting recent examples of baby food marketing malpractices, especially breastmilk substitute distribution in hospitals and other health facilities.
On the August 6, the date of the arrival of the European volunteers. The president of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, James Achanyi-Fontem, had called on the government to strengthen Cameroon’s national code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes by including sanctions as part of the already well formulated articles during the launching mass event in Obala.
Achanyi-Fontem told the story of the birth of federation on the 14th September 2007 and its vision which is to protect, promote and support breastfeeding action with health facilities and communities of Cameroon. He added that FECABPA was out to advocate for human rights, maternal and child care with the aim of promoting the well being of the mothers and children.
The President of FECABPA thanked the minister of public health for sponsoring the training of 30 breastfeeding counsellors in November 2008 and that the NGOs were already well armed for the acceleration of partnership with the government in the area of infant and young child feeding.
The FECABPA president said, though much had been achieved, there is still much to be done for Cameroon to qualify for certification of at least one Baby Friendly Hospital or a Baby Friendly Community. More educative materials are needed for the expansion of community social mobilisation for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.
He used the opportunity of the WBW 2009 launching in Obala to publicly present the Gold Medal won by Cameroon following the 2008 WABA WBW marathon events competition, while inviting the ministry of public health and UNICEF to support the participation of the Cameroon delegation at the forth coming WABA Global Forum 3 scheduled in Quebec, Canada from the 14th -17th June 2010. The theme of the WABA Global Forum 3 is “Innocenti & Beyond: Breastfeeding in a Family-Friendly World”.
FECABPA also recommended 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. With this, 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 in the country.
For more information on the world breastfeeding week, click on the following link or copy and paste – http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/worldwide.htm or http://cameroonlink.blogspot.com

2009 World Breastfeeding Week 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 2009Monsieur 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 Excellence, 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.

World Breastfeeding week In cameroon