<div dir="ltr">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Pei Ching Chuah</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:peiching.chuah@waba.org.my">peiching.chuah@waba.org.my</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><br><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%">WABA statement for International Women’s Day 2018<span></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:107%">Empower Everyone: Breastfeeding and the Transformation of Women’s Lives<span></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Scaling up breastfeeding could prevent 823,000 annual deaths
in children under 5 years and 20,000 annual deaths from breast cancer among
other well documented benefits. Breastfeeding also provides a strong foundation
for the economic empowerment of families throughout the world. In addition to
improving maternal and child health, supporting recommended breastfeeding
practices could save an estimated USD 302 billion globally each year. Despite
these facts and statistics, many women are unable to optimally breastfeed due
to a lack of consistent information and support during the 1000-day (pregnancy
to the child’s second birthday) continuum of care across health, community and
workplace sectors. Empowerment of mothers is an important factor for continuing
breastfeeding. Empowering women results in the improved quality of their
maternal role and decreases the psychological distress of their families.
Consistent support for mothers across the 1000 days has been shown to be
effective in increasing the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is not solely a woman’s issue - the protection, promotion and
support of breastfeeding is a collective social responsibility.<br>
<br>
The International Women’s Day 2018 theme “Time is Now: Rural and urban
activists transforming women’s lives” gives us cause to reflect on the
diverse stories of breastfeeding activists. We share some of them with
you here.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In India, Dr. Taru turns knowledge into power for expectant
mothers – and those who care for them<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“One mother following the Facebook post, got inspired to
breastfeed her baby who was going to be born by surrogacy. With help, she has
now started producing milk, one and a half months before the arrival of her
baby!”<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dr. Taru Jindal is an obstetrician and a lactation
consultant in Mumbai, India. She recognises that most cases of lactation
failure in different parts of India start when a pregnant woman is already in
the hospital about to give birth.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a href="https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=bc60d90303&e=858833e631" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Read
more</a><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In the Middle East, Dr. Khalid promotes breastfeeding for premature
babies<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“We are proud to support all mothers who provide breastmilk
regularly and practice kangaroo mother care that plays a vital role in saving
lives of tiny premature babies who are at the edge of survival. “<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dr. Khalid Iqbal is a neonatologist and lactation consultant
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He founded Breastmilk is a Medicine, an
exclusive initiative for mothers of premature babies.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a href="https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=e886dd9b73&e=858833e631" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Read
more</a><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Zypo champions breastfeeding among pregnant teens and young
women in Zimbabwe<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“With 82% of the population having access to the internet, I
hope projects that use Information and Communications Technology tools such as
an app and various multimedia can be utilised by mothers when they cannot
access a physical health centre. This can be a new way to reach out to young
breastfeeding mothers.”<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Nozipho Zypo Moyo is a passionate Sexual and Reproductive
Health Rights community activist in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She is particularly
disappointed that currently 68% of young mothers between the ages of 15 and 35
in Zimbabwe choose not to breastfeed due to a lack of sociocultural support.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a href="https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=1ab62f9447&e=858833e631" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Read
more</a><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">In Viet Nam, Dr. Tran empowers men to support breastfeeding<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">“One mother in Pha Lai township told a village health worker
that she was surprised that her husband changed so quickly. When they had the
first child, he did not care much about his wife and breastfeeding. But
now he pays more attention and care to both his wife and the second baby,
although the second is also a female”.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Dr. Tran Huu Bich is an epidemiologist at the Hanoi School
of Public Health. He is a pioneer in promoting the role of fathers in child
nutrition and development in Viet Nam.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><a href="https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=d21511de17&e=858833e631" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Read
more</a><span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Our rural and urban breastfeeding activists embody WABA’s
vision of a world where women are supported in all ways to freely exercise
their right to breastfeed. They are the catalysts of our <a href="https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=d559a43bd7&e=858833e631" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">Warm Chain of Support for Breastfeeding </a>that links change-makers
at all levels to call for collective action and impact. With consistent
messages, ongoing support and more skilled help during breastfeeding, all
mothers will be empowered with a satisfying and effective breastfeeding
experience. <br>
<br>
We all have an important role to play in helping transform women’s lives to
ensure the wellbeing and survival of children and women around the world.<br>
<br>
For more information on our programmes contact:<br>
Revathi Ramachandran, <a href="mailto:revathi@waba.org.my" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">revathi@waba.<wbr>org.my</a><span></span></p><br></div></div></div></div>