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.