how can rotary promote bf'ing in africa

[superfastreader]

my parents are very involved in rotary & my mom just led a well-building project for malawi. i asked them if they thought rotary could do a bf'ing project
& my dad said that if i gave him info he'd look into it. i figured you mamas could help!

both of them are very aware that of what formula companies are doing & my mom even mentioned nestle when i brought it up. i mentioned the idea of a milk bank, which was something they had not heard of. my mom's well oroject helped mothers who were HIV+ and could not nurse b/c of possible transmission. a milk bank might be a bit too progressive for rotary, so i want to get all kinds of ideas.

[dewi]

I think the best place to start is with the World Health Organization (WHO) they can hook you up with how the Rotary club can help.
http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/

Also look into UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_HIV.html

Your information is incorrect about HIV and breastmilk in Africa. They do not give formula to prevent the transmission they encourage longer breastfeeding to build the babies immunities. Read about it I'm only paraphrasing a very complicated issue.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Baby Milk Action / IBFAN is combating unethical marketing of articial baby milk substitutes, especially in developing countries:

http://www.babymilkaction.org/

This document may be useful, or it might be just some bureaucratese:

http://www.popline.org/docs/146503



No matter what -- do NOT -- DO NOT -- let them get sucked into the international breast milk project:

http://www.breastmilkproject.org/index.php

That is a scam for a for-profit milk bank:

http://www.breastfeedingsymbol.org/2...rites-history/

[grantskismom+1]

http://www.anotherlook.org/index.php

You might email Marian Tompson, president of Another Look, and see if she can give you some ideas. She's one of the founders of LLL.

[grantskismom+1]

Originally Posted by dewi

Your information is incorrect about HIV and breastmilk in Africa. They do not give formula to prevent the transmission they encourage longer breastfeeding to build the babies immunities. Read about it I'm only paraphrasing a very complicated issue.

They don't always encourage breastfeeding. It depends on who you talk to. It is complicated but the research is only in the beginning stages. I don't believe the WHO encourages HIV+ mothers to breastfeed.

[PatioGardener]

The WHO guidelines are being revised, but here are the latest I could find (2003).
"when replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe, avoidance of all breastfeeding by HIV-infected mothers is recommended.
Otherwise, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended during the first months of life”
http://www.who.int/nutrition/publica...healthcare.pdf
The definitions of acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe are really interesting - and I would imagine in many places rarely attainable.

If anyone has access to anything more recent, please post it - thanks!

[grantskismom+1]

Breastfeeding & HIV: It's a tough choice and one I'm glad I don't have to make. The tranmission rate in breastfeeding is pretty low but given the life expectancy of a child with HIV that doesn't have access to medical care, is it worth the risk? If an HIV+ mother formula feeds in unsanitary conditions she is trading one risk for another.

Just another issue that is ignored and overlooked. The HIV/AIDS issue in Africa is so complex and it has so many components.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by grantskismom+1

Just another issue that is ignored and overlooked.

So true.