Infant and young child feeding in emergencies. Making it ... - IBFAN
Infant and young child feeding in emergencies. Making it ... - IBFAN
Infant and young child feeding in emergencies. Making it ... - IBFAN
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Pledge for Action<br />
Steps to Improve <strong>Infant</strong> <strong>and</strong> Young Child Feed<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Emergencies<br />
111 participants from 16 countries <strong>and</strong> special terr<strong>it</strong>ories together w<strong>it</strong>h regional <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational representatives<br />
of Un<strong>it</strong>ed Nations agencies, non-governmental organisations <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>fant <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>child</strong> <strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong> experts, met <strong>in</strong><br />
Bali, Indonesia from 10-13 March 2008. We agree on the follow<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
The protection, promotion <strong>and</strong> support of <strong>Infant</strong> <strong>and</strong> Young Child Feed<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Emergencies are <strong>in</strong>adequate.<br />
Inappropriate use of breastmilk subst<strong>it</strong>utes <strong>in</strong> <strong>emergencies</strong>, often received as unsolic<strong>it</strong>ed donations, endangers the<br />
lives of <strong>in</strong>fants <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>child</strong>ren. Creation of a protective environment <strong>and</strong> provision of skilled support to<br />
breast<strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong> women <strong>and</strong> caregivers of <strong>in</strong>fants <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>child</strong>ren is a life-sav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>tervention <strong>in</strong> all <strong>emergencies</strong>.<br />
Equally, non-breastfed <strong>in</strong>fants require appropriate care <strong>and</strong> follow up to reduce the significant risks they are<br />
exposed to through artificial <strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong>.<br />
As participants <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals comm<strong>it</strong>ted to safeguard<strong>in</strong>g public health <strong>and</strong> well-be<strong>in</strong>g, we pledge to implement<br />
the Operational Guidance on <strong>Infant</strong> <strong>and</strong> Young Child Feed<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Emergencies to our full capac<strong>it</strong>y. In particular we<br />
pledge to:<br />
1. Ensure <strong>Infant</strong> <strong>and</strong> Young Child Feed<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Emergencies (IFE) is <strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>to national policies on <strong>emergencies</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Infant</strong> <strong>and</strong> Young Child Feed<strong>in</strong>g/nutr<strong>it</strong>ion.<br />
2. Develop a policy on donations, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a designated agency responsible for manag<strong>in</strong>g unsolic<strong>it</strong>ed<br />
donations.<br />
3. Act to strengthen implementation of the International Code.<br />
4. Identify ways to strengthen coord<strong>in</strong>ation for IFE.<br />
5. Build capac<strong>it</strong>y to support breast<strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong> mothers through breast<strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong> counsell<strong>in</strong>g by health <strong>and</strong> commun<strong>it</strong>y<br />
workers, <strong>and</strong> other measures.<br />
6. Improve capac<strong>it</strong>y <strong>and</strong> systems to improve complementary <strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong>.<br />
7. Improve capac<strong>it</strong>y to provide support for non-breastfed <strong>in</strong>fants <strong>and</strong> m<strong>in</strong>imise the risks of artificial <strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong>.<br />
8. Educate <strong>and</strong> advise donors on how best to support IFE, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g by not donat<strong>in</strong>g breastmilk subst<strong>it</strong>utes.<br />
9. Engage the media to improve how IFE is presented to the public.<br />
10. Document <strong>and</strong> share experiences on the impact of our country’s emergency response <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>terventions<br />
on IFE.<br />
11. Include <strong>in</strong>fant <strong>and</strong> <strong>young</strong> <strong>child</strong> <strong>feed<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> emergency assessments/surveys.<br />
Agreed on 12th March 2008 <strong>in</strong> Bali, Indonesia.<br />
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