Government and civil society entities join in the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), which takes place from August 1 to 7 each year as part of an initiative coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA).
This 2024, the SMLM campaign has the motto “Closing the gap: supporting breastfeeding in all situations”, which according to the Pan American Health Organization, is carried out in order to raise awareness and encourage the practice.
Organizations involved in promoting breastfeeding in the country during the aforementioned days include the Ministry of Public Health, La Leche League, ProlactarRD, ARS Primera, among others.
Each of these entities will carry out different activities to encourage this practice among pregnant women and nursing mothers, so as to reduce the rate of children who do not receive breast milk in the Dominican Republic.
Reinforcing initiatives
The Ministry of Health, one of the institutions that joins this campaign every year, announced various actions to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the country, which according to the latest report from the National Statistics Office (ONE) of 2019, only 16% of children in the Dominican Republic receive breast milk.
The Public Health Department said the actions include the implementation and supervision of Law 8-95 and the international code of marketing of breast milk, the promotion of friendly labor policies and workplace spaces that facilitate breastfeeding.
In this regard, the ministry reported that it will be carrying out activities that include promotional days, exhibitions in shopping centres and conferences. In addition, it will be inaugurating various Breastfeeding-Friendly Rooms.
Another entity that will join the World Breastfeeding Week is the La Leche League, which announced that it will begin its activities today, August 3, at a meeting in the central atrium of the Galería 360 shopping mall with activities for the entire family.
These include talks, photographs, living showcases with breastfeeding mothers as models, among others.
This first activity aimed at pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and the general public will feature the participation of Macy Ho, international breastfeeding consultant; the pediatrician Jimmy Michel; and the legal professional and also a mother, Paloma Rodríguez. They will be in charge of the panel entitled how to achieve successful breastfeeding, the clinical aspect of breastfeeding, and the conciliation between breastfeeding and work.
The Leche League’s program of activities includes: an in-person support group, online chats, among other initiatives.
ProlactarRD called on society in general to join in this celebration to raise awareness about the importance of breast milk, while proposing the creation of the first center for education, promotion and support of breastfeeding.
During the WBW, she will hold a series of free talks, offering families resources and information to overcome common challenges by promoting maternal and child health.
Benefits of breast milk for babies
According to UNICEF, breastfeeding provides babies with all the nutrients they need to grow and for their immune system to fully develop.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends that this food be the only food for the infant during the first six months of life, and that the infant receives breast milk supplemented with other nutritious foods appropriate for the infant’s age until the age of two.
