BABY-FRIENDLY COMMUNITY INITIATIVE TRAINING KICKS OFF IN KAPSABET
Appropriate infant and young child nutrition is critical for proper growth and development. In order to promote optimal nutrition at an early age, the county government of Nandi in partnership with Nutrition International is holding a six day training that kicked off on Monday for link facility in-charges and CHEWs to capacity build them and hence cascade the same to Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) and in return the CHVs train the community. Baby Friendly Community Initiative supports breastfeeding and optimal infant feeding in community.
Traditional beliefs and practices influences the way a mother feeds her infant in Nandi. Exclusive breastfeeding for any duration is one component of optimal breast-feeding that mothers in Nandi find difficult to practice. Thus, community participation is one of the strategies intended to promote exclusive infant breastfeeding.
The Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) strategy addresses issues of nutrition among mothers and children right to the community and one of the strategies is the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) which compliments Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in maternity wards. Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative has proven to be effective in promoting optimal breastfeeding practices but due to the traditional beliefs, BFHI is being transferred to the community where most women deliver. Since even those who give birth in hospitals must return to their communities and homes to care for their babies. The implementation of Baby Friendly Community Initiative is yielding fruits in Nandi County.
Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) is a strategy that employs the principles of BFHI at the community level.
The Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) was developed to expand BFHI’s 10th step, focusing on support for breastfeeding mothers after they leave hospital, which also provides an entry point to address the nutritional and developmental needs of both mother and child. BFCI also addresses environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and equity.