Breastfeeding Week in Kyrgyzstan
Aug 25, 2017
World Breastfeeding Week
Kyrgyzstan, 1-7 August 2017
Theme: “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together”
Date: 1-7 August 2017.
Objective: promotion of exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age and continued breastfeeding for at least 2 years: among decision-makers, parents, employers and raising awareness of population about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding.
Participants: Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, Republican Health Promotion Centre, UNICEF Kyrgyzstan, World Health Organization, Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security.
During the entire World Breastfeeding Week, key messages were published for:
-Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers – on correct attachment of baby to breast
-Fathers and the general public – on the importance of breast milk and the necessity of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continued breastfeeding until 2 years of age
-Various companies and entities – on supporting mothers in breastfeeding of infants anytime and anywhere
- Mass media – on the disregard of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On protection of breastfeeding of children and regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes”
The list of activities devoted to celebration of World Breastfeeding Week.
Activities on national level
- Press conference “Ensuring survival of infants: violations of Law on breastfeeding in Kyrgyzstan”, held with support from UNICEF Kyrgyzstan on 1 August in multimedia press centre “Sputnik-Kyrgyzstan” jointly with Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security and World Health Organization. The aim of this event was to call attention to violations of Law of Kyrgyz Republic “On protection of breastfeeding and regulating the marketing of breast milk substitutes”. In the country, there is dissemination and advertising of breast milk substitutes, which misleads parents and encourages use of these substitutes, and in government authorities and local self-governance, as well as in enterprises, entities and organizations there are no special spaces for mother and baby.
https://web.facebook.com/sunkyrgyzstan/videos/1945396065729736/
https://www.azattyk.org/a/28651976.html
https://5news.kg/ru/articles/v-bishkeke-proydet-vsemirnaya-nedelya-grudnogo-vskarmlivaniya
- Meetings of representatives of Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security with deputy authorized representatives of the Government of Osh, Jalal-Abad, Batken, Talas, Issyk-Kul and Naryn provinces and administrations of various localities about creation of rooms for mother and baby within medical facilities were held from 10 to 25 July as per the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On protection of breastfeeding”. Letters in support of the World Breastfeeding Week and the necessity to establish rooms/corners for mother and baby were submitted to these representatives.
3. Meetings of UNICEF Kyrgyzstan staff with administrations of business structures: cafes and public catering enterprises in relation to establishment of rooms/corners for mother and baby
4. Interviews of specialists and consultants on breastfeeding on radio and television
https://sputnik.kg/Radio/20170802/1034561129/mamyrbaeva-ehmchek-sutu-tuuraluu.html
http://ru.sputnik-tj.com/radio/20170803/1022986651/dly-zdorovyay-grudnoye-kormleniye.html
5. Meeting of parents with expert on nutrition in the open air in Victory Park arranged by UNICEF, WHO and Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security. There was held a lecture called “The most common mistakes that parents make”, where specialists and consultants responded to questions of parents. There was also held a flash mob and quiz game, and parents got memorable prizes for each correct answer. Facebook users had a chance to watch the event through live broadcast.
https://web.facebook.com/UNICEFKyrgyzstan/videos/850826765074662/
6. Photos from flash mob with slogans
https://web.facebook.com/pg/sunkyrgyzstan/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1681279598808052
7. Publication of 27 articles on breastfeeding in mass media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORLSinAOHc8
https://5news.kg/ru/articles/v-bishkeke-proydet-vsemirnaya-nedelya-grudnogo-vskarmlivaniya
8. Publication of messages on breastfeeding in social media: Facebook, Odnoklassniki, Instagram. Coverage with messages by UNICEF – 160 thousands, and coverage by Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security – 32 thousands.
https://web.facebook.com/UNICEFKyrgyzstan/
https://web.facebook.com/sunkyrgyzstan/
https://ok.ru/sunkyrgyzstan/topics
https://www.instagram.com/sun_kyrgyzstan/
https://www.instagram.com/unicefkg/
9. Creation of viral videos in support of the World Breastfeeding Week. Volunteers of Civil Alliance on Nutrition and Food Security produced 5 videos. They were posted in Facebook, Odnoklassniki and YouTube.
https://web.facebook.com/sunkyrgyzstan/videos/1944793809123295/
https://web.facebook.com/sunkyrgyzstan/videos/1950159455253397/
https://web.facebook.com/sunkyrgyzstan/videos/1952361301699879/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl7sai_UBfC6surtmDcDt7w
Activities in various localities
10. Conferences, round tables, meetings, trainings, lectures, workshops and discussions with pregnant women and parents in numerous medical facilities: Family Medical Centres, maternity homes, provincial territorial hospitals, feldsher-midwifery posts (FAPs) of Issyk-Kul, Osh, Naryn, Chuy provinces and Bishkek city. Coverage of residents and workers of medical facilities – 12 thousands.
Thanks to joint efforts of Multi-Sectoral Platform during the World Breastfeeding Week, there were established 115 rooms/corners for mother and baby in medical facilities across the republic, 20 rooms/corners– in cafes, and the informational coverage of the population – reached nearly 200 thousands*.
*- data on coverage is not precise, as the coverage through television, radio and newspapers was not taken into account; and more than half of organizations did not provide the numbers in relation to covered population