BPNI
NEWS DESK, NEW DELHI:
Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy
Chairman, Planning Commission, had
shown keen interests in the data
presented by Dr. Arun Gupta,
particularly related to IBFAN-Asia
Pacific's assessment on breastfeeding
practices, policies and programmes
in 8 South Asian countries and expressed
his deep concern over the high rate
of IMR and neonatal deaths in India.
Extremely
concerned over India’s high
rank which stood at 6th among 8
South Asian countries, Dr Ahluwalia
wanted Dr Gupta’s assertions
on the efficacy of early initiation
of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding
and complementary feeding and how
it could reduce the IMR and neonatal
deaths in India.
Acknowledging
that IYCF, especially breastfeeding,
is the most important task in front
of the government today, Sh. Ahluwalia,
however, requested BPNI to create
an organizational chart of an institution
that could center-stage breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding
has also been designated as a key
strategy for poverty reduction in
the Joint
Statement and recognizes optimal
infant and young child feeding in
Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers
(PRSPs) and incorporate 0-6 months
for exclusive breastfeeding in all
programmes to ensure infants' basic
right to food, informed BPNI consultant
Radha Holla.
The Joint Statement also asked the
Planning Commission to declare "breastfeeding
education" as a basic service
equal to immunization in both health
and nutrition sectors. While recalling
major actions later in a press briefing,
Dr Gupta said that five actions
drawn in the Joint Statement should
be incorporated in 11th plan.
A
group of 16 health professionals
and citizen movement organizations
had submitted this joint statement
on Infant and Young Child Feeding
to Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia on
29 December 2006 and sought for
recognizing "breastfeeding"
in the 11th plan as a core intervention
for ensuring the survival and optimal
development of infants in India.
The
representatives had sought for adequate
measures that could protect infants
and young children from further
deaths and ensure proper development
for those who survived. The latest
provisional report of NFHS-3 and
UNICEF's recent report on The State
of the World's Children 2007 show
high prevalence of IMR in India
and varying in different states.
In few states, however, the IMR
rate has been increased during last
2 decades and recent years.
Today,
overwhelming evidence exists that
universally initiating breastfeeding
within one hour of birth, exclusive
breastfeeding for the first six
months, and continued breastfeeding
with adequate and appropriate complementary
feeding for at least two years,
can rapidly reduce infant mortality
by more than 43%. Breastfeeding
has also been shown to lead to optimal
brain development, increasing IQ
levels, informed Dr. Arun Gupta,
National Coordinator, BPNI.
5
major actions demanded in the joint
statement
- ensure
adequate budget for national and
state plans;
-
create a commission on infant
nutrition for specific tasks and
coordination for
optimizing infant nutrition;
-
establish accountability and mechanisms
on infant nutrition in MOH
and MWCD;
-
provide legislation support to
all women for adequate healthcare
support and
-
assure six months maternity leave
to ensure initiation of
breastfeeding within one hour
of birth, exclusive breastfeeding
for 6 months. download
PDF
find
out more
|
Acrobat
Reader