PHM-Exch> Joint Statement In Celebration Of World Health Day – Universal Health Coverage

Fri Apr 5 02:20:51 PDT 2019

From: Pei Ching Chuah <peiching.chuah at waba.org.my>

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*Joint statement for World Health Day 2019 - Universal Health Coverage*

La Leche League International (LLLI) <https://www.llli.org/> and the World
Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) <http://waba.org.my/> celebrate World
Health Day 2019
<https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/detail/2019/04/07/western-pacific-events/world-health-day-2019>
by focusing on universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of
breastfeeding. UHC is fundamental to “ensuring all people and communities
have access to quality health services where and when they need them” (1)
including services that support breastfeeding. Linking actors within
primary healthcare systems and the community creates a warm chain of
support for breastfeeding <http://waba.org.my/warm-chain/> and lays the
foundation for universal health coverage for all. Breastfeeding is a team
effort <http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/>, and we need to empower
mothers, fathers, partners, families, workplaces and communities
<http://waba.org.my/epc/> to enable breastfeeding.

National and local healthcare systems providing strong primary healthcare
can <https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/world-health-day-2019>
help families attain their breastfeeding goals. It is critical that
everyone involved in the healthcare system has sufficient knowledge and
communication skills to be able to assist families in meeting their goals.

Breastfeeding is the foundation of life
<http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/2018/actionfolder/>. Human milk provides
the basic building blocks for optimal growth and development of the child.
It contains the right amount of nutrients for growth, is easily digested,
and is readily available. Colostrum or first milk is concentrated nutrition
for the newborn that contains vital antibodies to defend the baby’s
immature immune system against many harmful agents. Mature human milk
replaces colostrum to continue meeting the growing needs of the child,
providing the needed fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and calories to support
optimal growth. (2)

Breastfeeding is also associated with a reduced risk of overweight/obesity
and may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Not only do babies thrive on
human milk, but it also has lifelong benefits. Infant formula does not
provide antibodies or immune system protection. Not breastfeeding increases
the risk of many illnesses, such as diarrheoa, pneumonia, and other
infections. (5, 6) The healthcare system plays an important part in helping
families meet their breastfeeding goals, and regardless of the length of
the breastfeeding journey, breastfeeding has benefits for the baby. A
strong primary healthcare system that supports breastfeeding from birth
provides the optimal health start with lifelong health benefits for the
infant. (2, 3, 4, 7)

There are also maternal health benefits of breastfeeding, such as lowering
the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, reducing the risk of type 2
diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and protecting against autoimmune
diseases. (4, 8, 9, 10, 11) Breastfeeding may also help to increase the
spacing of pregnancies if done in accordance with the WHO and UNICEF
recommendations. (9)

WHO and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months of the
child’s life with the addition of complementary solid foods at six months
and continued breastfeeding for two years or longer to promote the best
lifelong health outcomes for the child. (12) Yet, many families lack
equitable access to healthcare due to policies or systems, and adequate
support for breastfeeding. (13) Hence, ensuring this access to all families
is critical.

WABA’s Warm Chain of Support <http://waba.org.my/warm-chain/> for
Breastfeeding campaign places the breastfeeding dyad at the core of a
continuum of care during the first 1000 days of the baby’s life. (14) With
consistent messages and proper referral systems throughout the warm chain,
the mother-baby dyad will benefit from ongoing support and skilled
assistance. All mothers are then empowered <http://waba.org.my/epc/> with a
more satisfying and effective breastfeeding experience.

Through supportive breastfeeding policies and consistent messages,
Baby-friendly hospitals can positively impact the antenatal period and
early minutes, hours and days after birth. (15) Additionally, Step 10 of
the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
<https://www.who.int/nutrition/bfhi/ten-steps/en/> reinforces the
importance of follow-up for the breastfeeding dyad following their
discharge from the maternity care facility. In a system that supports
breastfeeding as a foundation for lifelong health, this follow-up may be a
breastfeeding support group, a community clinic, or a health provider’s
practice. It is necessary for the maternity care facility to ensure that
when the breastfeeding dyad leaves the hospital they have a knowledgeable
source of support. LLLI <https://www.llli.org> and other peer breastfeeding
support organisations offer this support for families and the community.
(16)

Breastfeeding benefits babies, mothers and nations. WHO highlights the need
for primary healthcare throughout the life cycle. Breastfeeding, with its
lifelong positive health effects, requires a warm chain of support that
spans primary healthcare and beyond. To empower parents and enable
breastfeeding, universal health coverage must be available and accessible
for all.

(1)  World Health Organization. (2019). World Health Day 2019
<https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news/events/detail/2019/04/07/western-pacific-events/world-health-day-2019>.

(2) Mosca, F., & Giannì, M. L. (2017). Human milk: composition and health
benefits. La Pediatria Medica E Chirurgica, 39(2). doi: 10.4081/pmc.2017.155
<https://doi.org/10.4081/pmc.2017.155>

(3) Horta BL, et al. Long-term consequences of breastfeeding on
cholesterol, obesity, systolic blood pressure and type 2 diabetes: a
systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Paediatr. 104:30-7,2015. doi:
10.1111/apa.13133 <https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.13133>

(4) Victora, C.G., Bahl R., Barros, A. J. D., França, G.V.A., Horton, S.,
Krasevec, J., Murch, S., Sankar, M. J., Walker, N., Rollins, N. C. for The
Lancet Breastfeeding Series Group. (2016). Breastfeeding in the 21st
century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 387:475-90
*.* doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01024-7
<https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01024-7>

(5) Hengstermann, S., Mantaring, J.B., 3rd, Sobel, H.L., Borja, V.E.,
Basilio, J., Iellamo, A.D., Nyunt-U, S. (2010). Formula feeding is
associated with increased hospital admissions due to infections among
infants younger than 6 months in Manila, Philippines. Journal of Human
Lactation,26(1), 19-25. doi: 10.1177/0890334409344078
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19759351>.

(6) Stuebe, A. (2009). The risks of not breastfeeding for mothers and
infants. Rev Obstet Gynecol <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20111658/>,
2(4), 222-31.

(7) Victora, C.G., Horta, B.L., de Mola, C.L., Quevedo, L., Pinheiro, R.T.,
Gigante, D.P., Goncalves, H., & Barros, F.C. (2015). Association between
breastfeeding and intelligence, educational attainment, and income at 30
years of age: A prospective birth cohort study from Brazil. Lancet Glob.
Health, 3:e199-205. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(15)70002-1
<https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(15)70002-1>

(8) Blincoe, A.J. (2005). The health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers.
British Journal of Midwifery, 13 (6), 398-401. doi:
10.12968/bjom.2005.13.6.18361
<https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pcl.2012.09.010>

(9) World Health Organization. (2019). Breastfeeding
<https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/nutrition/breastfeeding/en/>.

(10)     Langer-Gould, A. , Smith, J. B. , Hellwig, K. , Gonzales, E. ,
Haraszti, S. , Koebnick, C. & Xiang, A. (2017). Breastfeeding, ovulatory
years, and risk of multiple sclerosis. Neurology, 89(6), 563–569. doi:
10.1212/WNL.0000000000004207. <https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004207>

(11)     Stuebe AM, Michels KB, Willett WC, Manson JE, Rexrode K,
Rich-Edwards JW. Duration of lactation and incidence of myocardial
infarction in middle to late adulthood. Am J Obstet Gynecol
2009;200:e131–e138. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2008.10.001
<https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2008.10.001>

(12)     World Health Organization. (2019). The World Health Organization's
infant feeding recommendation
<https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/>.

(13)     Reis-Reilly, H., Fuller-Sankofa, N., & Tibbs, C. (2018).
Breastfeeding in the Community: Addressing disparities through policy,
systems, and environmental changes systems. Journal of Human Lactation,
34(2), 262-271. doi: 10.1177/0890334418759055
<https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0890334418759055>

(14)     World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) (2019). Warm Chain
of Support for Breastfeeding <http://waba.org.my/warm-chain/>.

(15)     World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Nutrition. Infographics: The
TEN STEPS to successful breastfeeding
<https://www.who.int/nutrition/bfhi/infographics/en/>.

(16)     La Leche League International (LLLI). (2019). Get Help
<https://www.llli.org/get-help/>.

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*World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action*
P.O. Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604 6584816 Fax: 604 6572655
Email: waba at waba.org.my
Websites: www.waba.org.my
             www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
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