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

World Breastfeeding week In cameroon

Cameroon Link Profile

About Cameroon Link
Cameroon Link is a registered charity not-for-profit organisation involved in volunteers’ socio-cultural promotion of community health development through women’s empowerment, human assistance advocacy, information, education and communication on human rights of the woman and the child. It is also involved in nutrition promotion, especially in the area of Infant and Young Child Feeding. It was created on the 9th September 1991 and the head office is implanted in Grand Hangar-Bonabéri (Nouvelle Route) in the Douala City neighbourhood.
It was founded by a professional dialogue group of communication specialists, journalists, health and social welfare workers, due to the crucial lack of adequate and good circulation of information on community health development issues, social welfare, infant and young child nutrition and food-self sufficiency in Cameroon. Cameroon Link coordinates the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Association (FECABPA) and Cameroon Association of Newspaper Journalists, (CANJ). It was officially incorporated through its registration on the 23rd November 1992, within the frame work of the law N° 053/90 of 19th December 1990 on the creation of association.
Cameroon Link NGO holds the official registered reference n°251/RDDA/C.19/BAPP attributed by the SDO for Wouri Division, Richard MOTA, Senior Civil Administrator of Exceptional Class. Cameroon Link acquired from the Ministry of Women's Affairs a protocol letter of collaboration registered under the reference n°. 00199 signed on the 19th June 1997 by the Minister of Women's Affairs, Mrs. YAOU Aïssatou.
Another protocol letter of collaboration with the Ministry of the Public Health referenced N°. E32/L/MSP/BG/DSC/B.SIDA of 16th February 1998 was signed by the Secretary of State, HAYATOU Alim. The Registration Certificate as an NGO, N°: 98/RC/GPLI/SG/DAJ of 8th February 1995 was obtained from the Littoral Governor’s Office in Douala.
Strategic Framework
The vision of Cameroon Link is of a nation in which people do not die of treatable diseases and lack of adequate nutrition. This means a nation where communities have brought self-food sufficiency deficiencies, maternal and infant malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS under control through preventing, accessing and providing care and support, and alleviating the impact of any epidemic. Cameroon Link’s vision goes together with values. For this reason its activities build on human rights, public health and socio-economic development approaches. The work of Cameroon Link is underpinned by a set of shared values, which make its team to believe that:
• The lives of all human beings are of equal value. Unequal power relations increase people's vulnerability to common diseases. These arise, in particular, from poverty and the abuse of people's human rights. Gender, religion, class, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation are all sources of vulnerability and unequal power in our societies.
• Everyone has the right to access the information and services they need. People should have access to accurate and complete information about HIV prevention, comprehensive prevention programmes, and initiatives that promote the self-determination, dignity and quality of life for people living with common infections, and for groups who are likely to affect, or be affected by the spread of HIV/AIDS. People have the right to access AIDS care and treatment and appropriate health and social services, including treatment and palliative care for those with AIDS. Sickle Cell Disorder which is common in Africa has not got the full attention of decision makers for the problem to be considered a public health issue.
The work of Cameroon Link is guided by the belief in the importance of meaningfully involving all vulnerable people, particularly those living with HIV and AIDS, sickle cell disorders and malnutrition in all aspects of the response to the health issues, ensuring that communities play a central role in the response to these issues, challenging dogma and discrimination.
By getting into partnership with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN Africa), Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, other national and international organisations, Cameroon Link aimed at making sure that its initiatives are driven by evidence of “what works” for Cameroon like in other African countries and the rest of the world.
Cameroon Link takes a gender approach to health issues as a means of acknowledging the role of both women and men in meeting the challenges that surround us. Reducing the vulnerability of children and young people in Cameroon and other parts of the world, and involving them in planning, implementing and evaluating sex education, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and sickle cell disorder prevention with care programmes, as well as being accountable to the people we work to support and to those who support our work is capital for our success in the years ahead.
In trying to fulfil this mission, It strongly believes that we are also contributing towards achieving the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, Infant and Young Child Feeding, the prevention of Sickle Cell Disorders of the United Nations General Assembly Special Sessions and to the Millennium Development Goals.
Cameroon Link remains a national initiative of people, organisations and communities working towards a shared vision by supporting effective community responses to Infant and Young Child Feeding, Sickle Cell Disorder, HIV and AIDS. It operates through forged partnerships, shared knowledge, accessing financial resources where possible, and offering technical assistance through capacity building to women and youths’ groups. Cameroon joined the WABA Men’s Initiative race of challenges with its leader coordinating global initiatives and activities in May 2008..
By the organisational structure of Cameroon Link and the involvement of the media for communication purposes, it is recognised to have great social mobilisation capacities for penetration of the grassroots populations. Cameroon Link uses the approaches of community mobilisation that take into account the roles of all stakeholders. All activities of Cameroon Link are designed with and executed with representatives of the beneficiary communities. The NGO offers its technical know-how and services to other groups and organisations through information exchange, capacity building training and consultations. It operates a counselling, documentation and training centre in at the head office in Grand Hangar – Bonabéri, in the neighbourhood of Douala City, considered the economical capital of Cameroon with a very thick population estimated already at over two million inhabitants.
Beneficiary Target Groups: Women, Fathers, Youths & Media
Activities
• Collection and publication of health development information
• Promotion of community health activities through IEC, Training and Advocacy
• Animation of Training at Documentation Centre in Bonabéri-Douala
• Organisation of advocacy conferences, and open-door activities on protection of street children, Women’s Reproductive Health, Infant and Young Child Feeding, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS prevention
• Training of community health workers on social change through behaviour change communication strategies.
• Mobilisation of funds and material resources for the prevention of HIV, assistance to infected persons and rehabilitation of AIDS Orphans and street children in emergency.
• Collaboration with volunteers on community development participative research strategies.
• Organisation of home visits and assistance of integrated vulnerable street children.
• Promotion of Exclusive Breastfeeding of babies for the first six months
• Promotion of nutrition and dietary activities within the food-self sufficiency programme
• Participation in Infant and Young Child Feeding emergency support
• Advocacy for the promotion of the International Code on the marketing of breast milk substitutes.
• Training of volunteer - community health workers on the organisation of social mobilisation, peer education, home visits and cares.
• Promotion of Psycho-social support and assistance
• Acquisition of means of communication and transport for volunteer health workers
• Production and multiplication of education materials for out reach activities.
Contact Person:
James Achanyi-Fontem
National Coordinator,
Cameroon Link
P.O. Box 1460 Douala,
Littoral Region,
Cameroon
Tel: (237) 77 75 88 40
Fax:(237) 33 39 13 56
Email: camlink99@gmail.com
Web site: http://cameroonlink.blogspot.com
Youtube: http://uk.youtube.com/camlink99
For information on the World Breastfeeding Week, please click on the following link -http://www.worldbreastfeedingweek.net/wbw2008/cameroon.htm