Breastfeeding
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© UNICEF Albania/04-0355/G. Pirozzi |
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A UNICEF-assisted baby-friendly hospital in Fier |
With the Ministry of Health and Center for Healthy Childhood (Albanian branch of IBFAN), we work to build the capacity of health workers to create a supportive environment for breastfeeding in health facilities and counsel mothers and families on proper breastfeeding through education and communication materials.
These efforts also include monitoring the marketing of breast milk substitutes and infant feeding practices in Albania. The monitoring system includes implementation of the Albanian Law on marketing of breast milk substitutes approved by Albanian Parliament in 1999. UNICEF has supported 3 monitoring studies and the last one conducted in 2006 indicates improvements of the situation but still concerns in implementation of ten steps to successful breastfeeding in all maternities, and maintaining high levels of exclusive breastfeeding after discharge from the maternity hospital. 39 per cent of children continue exclusive breastfeeding at the end of 6th month, 74% continue breastfeeding during the first year of life and 22 per cent beyond the first year. With UNICEF assistance, breastfeeding topics are included in the training curricula of the nursing school, and support is given to the Ministry of Health to develop the national breastfeeding policy. So far Albania has six baby-friendly hospitals.
