WBW 2013 In Littoral Region of Cameroon

By Helen Ayamba, Email: camlink99@gmail.com

The briefing workshop in the littoral region was presided over by the delegate for public health, Dr. Martin Yamba, who lauded the presence of several health workers, leaders of nutrition organisations, journalists, men and women of radio and television of the public and private as well as the print media. He told the audience that the celebration of the WBW 2013 was moved from August to a later period for convenience of proper preparation to impact on a wider population throughout Cameroon. He added that the briefing aimed at reiterating the total engagement of the ministry of public health and the government to make exclusive breastfeeding and mother support a reality within all communities. All stakeholders are involved, so that the message can go across for good practice that gives babies their right to breastmilk exclusively for the first six months after delivery, with complimentary feeding thereafter and continued breastfeeding upto 24 months and beyond. Dr. Yamba observed that the theme of the WBW 2013 calls the attention to the need to support breastfeeding mothers. Fathers and partners of the mothers were invited to exercise their roles to facilitate action within the families and communities. He concluded by saying that the mode in our society is to see mothers attached to their babies and breastfeed them. Breastfeeding should be an obligation of all mothers for the promotion of child survival in Cameroon, the regional delegate emphasized. He invited the nutrition associations to carry out social mobilization and sensitization activities throughout health areas by reaching well organized groups of men, women and youths.

After the official opening, Marie Hostense Koe, the focal point for nutrition in the littoral presented a brief history of the world breastfeeding week and contributions made by Cameroon since 1991 including demographic surveys and the putting in place of the national code. She presented activities planned before, during and after the WBW after elaborating on the objectives of the celebration in 2013, which included the increase of support for mothers, so that they can practice breastfeeding optimally, the promotion of awareness at all levelson the need and value of providing support to breastfeeding mothers, sharing of essential information to peers, who are partners, health care providers, midwives, family and friends on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. It was also an opportunity for the President of FECABPA to explain the role played by members of the national network in raising awareness about the existence of the decree No. 01 Dec.2005/5168/PM regulating the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. From the briefing workshop, members of FECABPA were deployed in Mambanda, Grand Hangar, Nkomba, Bonaminkano, Bonassama and New Bell health districts and health areas. Special programmes were realized on Sweet FM and CRTV, while the president of FECABPA was guest of the News Round Up on Canal 2 Tv and other media. Cameroon Link Radio produced a series broadcast programmes uploaded on its online radio station. Articles were also published on the camlinknews blog and camlink youtube channel.

While the associations appreciated the quantity and quality of materials produced this year, they regretted the low financial support compared to the 2012 WBW celebration which stood at CFA 100.000 per community based organisation for IEC and social mobilisation action. They appealed that the funding agencies should increase the support grant, considering that the number of actions on the field have increased.