Government Ministries and UN Agencies launch National Breastfeeding promotion Campaign

Dili, Monday 17th April 2023 - The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization, (WHO) Timor-Leste, have launched the national Breastfeeding Campaign, aimed at making breastfeeding an everyday multi sectoral priority across Timor-Leste. UNICEF, with support from the European Union, also handed over a fully furnished Breastfeeding and Lactation room to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the launch.

This integrated campaign, which was launched by H.E. Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste, aims to champion, promote and protect the practice of breastfeeding as a key strategy to ensure the growth and development of babies.
The campaign also aims to encourage different leaders at the Government, community, business, religious and household levels to champion breastfeeding.

“The breastfeeding room will provide an enabling environment for all mothers returning to work from maternity in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation to continue breastfeeding their babies. Therefore, contributing to reducing malnutrition”, said Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

“Increasing breastfeeding practices is multisectoral; I call on all sectors to join efforts to support families to breastfeed their children and improve breastfeeding practices”, said Odete Maria Fretias Belo, Minister of Health.

According to national statistics, breastfeeding rates remain low across Timor-Leste, with only 53 percent of mothers not starting breastfeeding in the first hour after delivery. While there have been improvements in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding, still, more than one in three babies are not being exclusively breastfed. 

Despite global evidence highlighting that giving a baby nothing else but breast milk during the first six months of life, helps reduce under-five mortality by 13 percent, while a child who has been exclusively breastfed also enjoys good physical and cognitive development.  

“By protecting, promoting, and supporting exclusive breastfeeding and thus increasing breastfeeding rates, we can save lives and improve the health, social, and economic development of individuals, families, and the country,” said UNICEF Representative, Bilal Durrani.

“There is ample evidence to show that breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival, the miracles of which I have witnessed as a clinician and a father”, said Dr Arvind Mathur, WHO Representative to Timor-Leste.

Through the campaign, a variety of multimedia messages and community engagements will be rolled out to ensure that parents and caregivers receive the right information on how breastfeeding is the best start of life of the baby which is cheapest and safest way to ensure the optimum growth and survival of every child.

Meanwhile, UNICEF, with funding support from the European Union, also handed over a mother and child friendly Breastfeeding and Lactation room to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

The Breastfeeding and Lactation room, provides a safe, peaceful and conducive space for working mothers to continue with breastfeeding even when they go back to work from maternity leave. 

The setting up of the breastfeeding and Lactation room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a positive model of how public offices can support working mothers to continue breastfeeding their babies after maternity leave.

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Media Contacts 

UNICEF:
Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 
Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, +670 77232441; angomez@unicef.org 

WHO:
Jyoti Shelar, WHO Communications Consultant: Mobile number - +67077728051; Email - shelarj@who.int  

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Tetun:

Ministerieu Governamental sira no Ajensia ONU lansa Kampaña Nasional Promosaun Fó Susubeen inan 

Dili, Segunda-feira 17 Abril 2023 – Ministeriu Saúde, Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun, hamutuk ho Fundus Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF sigla Inglés) no Organizasaun Mundial Saúde (OMS) Timor-Leste, lansa tiha ona Kampaña Nasional Fó Susubeen Inan, ho objetivu atu fó susibeen inan sai prioridade multisectoral ida iha Timor-Leste tomak. UNICEF, ho apoiu husi Uniaun Europeia, mós entrega sala fó susubeen inan kompletu ho mobiliariu ba Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru no Koperasaun iha serimonia lansamentu ne’e. 

Kampaña integradu ida ne'ebé lansa husi S.E. José Ramos Horta, Prezidente Timor-Leste, ho objetivu atu sai nu'udar kampiaun, promove no proteje prátika fó susubeen inan nu'udar estratéjia xave ida hodi asegura kresimentu no dezenvolvimentu bebé sira-nian.  

Kampaña ne'e mós ho objetivu atu enkoraja lideransa sira iha nivel governu, komunidade, negósiu, relijiaun no uma-kain atu sai kampiaun ba fó susubeen inan.   

"Sala fó susubeen inan sei fornese ambiente ida ne'ebé fasil ba inan hotu-hotu ne'ebé fila fali ba servisu husi maternidade iha Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru no Kooperasaun hodi kontinua fó susubeen inan ba sira-nia bebé. Tanba ne’e, kontribui ba redusaun malnutrisaun," dehan Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, Ministra Negosius Estranjeirus no Koperasaun.

"Hasae prátika fó susubeen inan mak multi-setorial; ha'u husu ba setór hotu-hotu atu halibur hamutuk esforsu sira atu apoia família sira fó susubeen inan ba sira-nia oan no hadi'a prátika fó susubeen inan," dehan Odete Maria Fretias Belo, Ministra Saúde.   

Tuir estatístika nasionál sira, taxa fó susubeen inan sei ki'ik nafatin iha Timor-Leste laran tomak, ho pursentu 53 de'it husi inan sira ne'ebé la hahú fó susubeen inan iha oras dahuluk hafoin partu. Maske iha ona mudansa iha taxa fó susubeen inan eskluzivu, maibé nafatin, liu fali ida husi bebé tolu la fó susubeen inan eskluzivu.   

Maske iha evidénsia globál ne'ebé hatudu katak fó susubeen-inan ba bebé durante fulan neen dahuluk husi nia moris, ajuda reduz mortalidade tinan lima mai kraik ba pursentu 13, no labarik ne'ebé fó susubeen inan de'it mós goza dezenvolvimentu fíziku no kognitivu ne'ebé diak.   

"Hodi proteje, promove, no apoia fó susubeen inan eskluzivu no aumenta taxa fó susubeen nian, ita bele salva moris no hadi'a dezenvolvimentu saúde, sosiál no ekonómiku ba individu, família no país," dehan Reprezentativu País UNICEF, Bilal Durrani.  

"Iha evidénsia barak ne'ebé hatudu katak fó susubeen inan mak dalan ida-ne'ebé efetivu liu atu asegura labarik nia saúde no sobrevivénsia, milagre sira ne'ebé ha'u haree ona nu'udar klínika no aman," dehan Dr. Arvind Mathur, Reprezentante OMS nian ba Timor-Leste.      

Liu husi kampaña nee, sei hato'o mensajen multimedia oioin no involvimentu komunidade hodi asegura katak inan-aman no kuidador sira simu informasaun loos kona-ba oinsá fó susubeen inan mak dalan ne'ebé di'ak liu atu hahú bebé nia moris no dalan ne'ebé baratu liu no seguru liu atu asegura kresimentu no sobrevivénsia ne'ebé di'ak ba labarik ida-idak.

Iha tempu hanesan, UNICEF, ho apoiu finanseiru husi Uniaun Europeia, entrega mós sala amigavel ba fó susubeen oan ba Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru.  

Sala fó susubeen inan, fó fatin ida-ne'ebé seguru, dame no kondutivu ba inan sira ne'ebé serbisu atu kontinua fó-susu oan maski sira fila fali ba servisu husi lisensa maternidade.  

Estabelese sala fó susubeen inan iha Ministeriu Negosiu Estranjeiru, nu'udar modelu pozitivu ida kona-ba oinsá eskritóriu públiku sira bele apoia inan serbisu-nain sira atu kontinua fó-susu ba sira-nia bebé hafoin lisensa maternidade.   

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Kontaktu ba Media:

UNICEF:
Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 
Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, +670 77232441; angomez@unicef.org 

WHO:
Jyoti Shelar, WHO Communications Consultant: Mobile number - +67077728051; Email - shelarj@who.int