Taking care of mom and baby

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, together with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization, have been developing the international initiative — Child Friendly Hospital — in the country. The aim of the initiative is to create an enabling environment that helps parents acquire the skills to organize and support exclusive breastfeeding (BF) for babies up to 6 months old and to continue breastfeeding for the next 2 years or longer. 

Breastfeeding strengthens the emotional bond between the newborn and her/his mother and helps improve baby's health through the nutrients and specific antibodies found in breast milk (which baby formula will not provide). At the same time, women continue to face difficulties in providing and maintaining breastfeeding. For example, difficulties include the lack of skills to properly apply the baby to the breast, insufficient support from the spouse and close relatives, insufficient milk supply, etc. That is why it is so important to create all the necessary conditions for breastfeeding in hospitals, maternity hospitals, clinics and other health institutions.

To become a Child Friendly Hospital, the Ministry of Health and UNICEF in Belarus evaluate the institution. The Special Committee evaluates the implementation of the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding recommendations, which include, for example, actions such as prenatal care for women, immediate postpartum breastfeeding, training and support throughout the postpartum period, and more.

On March 22, at a round table discussing the implementation of the initiative in Belarus, the Child Friendly Hospital status was awarded to 31 healthcare institutions, including maternity hospitals, polyclinics and hospitals from all over Belarus. 19 institutions reaffirmed their status, and 12 institutions got it for the first time. Honorary plaques and certificates were awarded by Rustam Haydarov, UNICEF Representative in Belarus, Sergei Diorditsa, WHO Representative in Belarus, and Dmitry Lazar, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate and Head of the Medical Aid to Mothers and Babies Section of the Ministry of Health.  

“I am pleased to highlight the efforts of the Ministry of Health in implementing the Child Friendly Hospital initiative in Belarus,” stressed Rustam Haydarov, UNICEF Representative in Belarus. – “Commitment to promote and support breastfeeding improves maternal and child health indicators. However, it is important to note that it is also needed to reach out to informal communities of mothers, who spend more and more time on the Internet today, seeking advice from mom bloggers. Therefore, the development and promotion of the peer-to-peer approach can facilitate an even more favorable environment for breastfeeding mothers in Belarus.”

The Mother and Child, Republican Scientific and Practical Center, coordinates evaluation of healthcare institutions that have the Child Friendly Hospital status. In addition, it offers capacity building activities, shares information, provides methodological and resource assistance to all healthcare institutions who seek this status.