Baby Friendly

Let’s Support Breastfeeding –
The Best Means of Avoiding Mishaps of Breastmilk Substitutes

(7 February 2009 - Hong Kong) Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association (BFHIHKA) and Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF co-organized a Press Conference ‘Let’s Support Breastfeeding – The Best Means of Avoiding Mishaps of Breastmilk Substitutes’. Dr. Patricia Ip, the Chairman of BFHIHKA announced the findings of implementing Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding in Hong Kong and promoted the worldwide the “One Million to Support Mother to Breastfeed” Campaign that would be launched on 9 February 2009. Dr. Cheung Suet Ling, Senior Medical Officer, Family Health Service of Department of Health, Ms. Vivian Leung, Founder Chairperson, Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mother Association and a breastfeeding mother, Stella also attended the Press Conference to share their views towards breastfeeding support in Hong Kong.

The World Breastfeeding Trend Initiative (WBTi) is developed by International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) Asia to assess the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Currently over 50 countries are participating in the project. Part I of the assessment has five indicators on infant practices while Part II has 10 indicators on policy on programmes. The information collected will be the largest global database on policies and programmes for supporting breastfeeding. Baby Friendly Initiative Hong Kong Association was invited by IBFAN Asia to co-ordinate the assessment for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Consumer Council is the supporting organisation in the project. Since HKSAR has not adopted the WHO’s “Infant and Young Child Feeding: A tool for assessing national practices, policies and programmes” on which the WBTi assessment tool is based, there is a lack of all the data required for Part I on infant feeding practices. Without a territory-wide mechanism with the authority to formulate and implement policies, the efforts put in by various parties made slow progress as reflected in Part II on policy and prgrammes. Hong Kong only scores 27 out of 100 which are lower than the eight South Asia countries that had their scores in 2006. The scores of Hong Kong are even slightly lower than that of Afghanistan and Bhutan who scored the lowest among the eight countries. Please find the scores of Hong Kong in Part II as follows:

Breastfeeding has always been the best and safest means of feeding our infants. Besides providing essential nutrition, enhancing infants’ immune system, and strengthening mother infant bonding, there are also no worries about quality or safety. According to the study, there is room for improvement in the promotion of breastfeeding in Hong Kong. To avoid any problems caused by breastmilk substitutes, BFHIHKA strongly urged the Hong Kong government to support breastfeeding by the establishment of a multisectorial Central Breastfeeding Committee headed by a Breastfeeding co-ordinator so that a Breastfeeding policy, plan of action, monitoring and evaluation mechanism can be developed. With breastfeeding be more popular in Hong Kong, our children can have a safer and healthier development.

Regarding the sharing by the representative of Hong Kong Breastfeeding Mother Association and a breastfeeding mother, it is evident that all-round support is crucial for successful breastfeeding. Dr. Ip also announced in the Press Conference that BFHIHKA fully supported the “One Million to Support Mother to Breastfeed” Campaign that is organized by IBFAN on 9 February (Monday). This Campaign aims at soliciting social support from around the world towards breastfeeding. This is an e-signature campaign and many places around the world would organize activities to promote breastfeeding in the name of this Campaign on 9 February 2009. The recent scandals of tainted milk powder horrified the whole world, “One Million to Support Mother to Breastfeed” Campaign reminds the public about the benefits of breastmilk, the most natural, safest and the most beneficial babyfood and calls for public support to mothers to breastfeed. Dr. Ip hoped that all parties could go to the website http://www.onemillioncampaign.org on 9 February or one month within to sign up as a support. It is hoped that this campaign could raise the public awareness towards breastfeeding and solicit more support from different sectors.

Ms. Carrie Li, Project Officer, UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association

Press release