Author: Boomscud

WABA Forum for Men’s Involvement in the Protection, Promotion & Support of Breastfeeding

Content

Editor’s note: GBPF 2010 P.1
Susan Siew Quits WABA Co-Directorship P.1
men's health world congress P.2
MI Question: Parenting & Relationship P.3
Advocates Evaluate Global Partnerships P.3
Role of the Father during Birthing P.3
A Word to Fathers by Jill Cohen P.4
Gender Equality Indices do not lie P.4
Birthing the World Conference In Quebec P.5
2010 Colorado FatherLove Tour P.5
WBTi Monitorinf & Evaluation P.5
Breast-feeding would save lives and money P.6
Ban Ki-moon speaks on maternal health P.7
Bye! Bye! Mothers: Kathy & Viola P.8
.

Editor’s note

Global Breastfeeding
Partners’ Forum (GBPF)

From 17 – 20 October 2010, Bayview Beach Resort in Penang, Malaysia will host a global meeting allowing for greater networking among WABA participants and the Core Partner organisations – ABM, IBFAN, ILCA, LLLI and Wellstart International. WABA is organizing this global event in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration, one of the most significant events which formed the basis of the breastfeeding movement. WABA, in collaboration with its Core Partners (ABM, LLLI, ILCA, IBFAN, and Wellstart International), plan to celebrate and strengthen its network and to discuss two of the Innocenti Declaration targets: implementation of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, (which became the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative or BFHI) and protection of the breastfeeding rights of Working Women.
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Susan Siew Quits WABA’s Co-Directorship

WABA Secretariat organised a farewell event for Susan Siew following her resignation after Co-Directorship for 15 years. She resigned from WABA as of 1 June 2010 to enjoy the 3Rs of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation. A formal handover ceremony had been conducted on Tuesday 25th May, 2010 in the presence of Dato Anwar Fazal, WABA's Chairperson Emeritus and coordinators of the WABA Local Governance Task Force. This was followed by staff organised farewell dinner party. The WABA Men’s Working Group wishes Susan all the best in her future undertakings and knowing that she will always be part of the breastfeeding movement. The WABA Secretariat will now be led by Sarah Amin as Executive Director.
In a message from the Chairperson of the steering Committee, Dr. Felicity Savage, on the 18th May 2010, she observed that She had been with WABA for 15 years, from its early years, and has worked extremely hard with fellow Director, Sarah Amin, to build the organisation up and to make it what it is. Susan brought important expertise and experience from her previous work, particularly with the global consumer, environmental and health movement, and led WABA’s advocacy and organising work with great skill and insight. Susan Siew was instrumental in the organization of past two highly successful WABA Global Forums.
Susan also brought to WABA her special communication design expertise from her work with renowned publishing and design firms in Toronto and New York prior to joining the global breastfeeding promotion, protection and support movement. . She designed and art-directed a group of young designers who produced WABA publications and key campaign materials particularly World Breastfeeding Week.
After 15 years of devoted service to WABA, Susan changed direction and is now looking for a new life path. In Dr. Felicity Savage, “We are confident that she has left WABA strong and well prepared to continue into the future, and our ongoing achievements will owe much to her legacy and high standards.” The Mén’s Working Group joins WABA Steering Committee in wishing Susan well as she looks forward to a period of well deserved rest and recreation, to continued friendship, and new possibilities opening up for her in future. WABA Secretariat

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 1 January - June 2010

Dato Anwar Fazal, WABA's Chairperson Emeritus Honoured

Professor Dato Anwar Fazal has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award. WABA Men’s Working Group extends their “Congratulations” to Professor Dato’ Anwar Fazal, for his great achievements.

The Chairperson Emeritus of World Alliance of Breastfeeding Action (WABA), is the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award Winner by the Consumers International and the Federation of Malaysians Consumers Association. This was on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary celebration of Consumers International. He was described during the occasion as 'the most influential figure in the history of the international consumer movement'. The Award was presented to him by Kenyan consumer activist Samuel Ochieng, the current President, of Consumers International. Anwar is also currently the Director of the Right Livelihood College, based at the Centre of Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS), Universiti Sains Malaysia. The Men’s Working Group is very proud to have Prof. Anwar Fazal as its WABA torch light.

men's health world congress

The International Society of Men’s Health (ISMH) has renamed the former "World Congress on Men's Health" as "Men's Health World Congress".

The mission of the society is to advocate and promote men’s health and empower men all over the world to pursue healthier lives. The theme of its 2010 from October 28-30 is “How to overcome the challenges?” with the hope that it will truly reflect the turning of attention from the health problems to the solutions. Healthy men support mothers more effectively. According to Prof. Siegfried Meryn, President of the ISMH, this year’s conference will be a great educational opportunity, that nobody interested in men’s health, could afford to miss. The International Society of Men’s Health will through a multi-disciplinary panel of international top experts in men’s health to Nice, France, lead the scientific activities of the 7th Men’s Health World Congress for practicing physicians and health professionals from all fields related to and interested in men’s health.
Prof. Siegfried Meryn explained that there is overwhelming irrefutable evidence from many scientific studies of the significant disparity in gender health. All over the world, men live shorter than women and suffer more from heart disease and cancer.

Breastfeeding Is Human Right

IBFAN’s Human Rights Intern of Child Rights Committee, Ina Verzivolli, described the last CRC session in January 2010 as a great success due to the big impact that IBFAN reports had on the issues that were discussed in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ina Verzivolli added that the session was a great success in terms of promoting breastfeeding as a human right in a summarized results sheet of the CRC session published last February 12. She lauded the work of IBFAN and praised the commitment of members. She invited governments to transform the recommendations in action for the continued struggle to protect and promote breastfeeding world wide. The Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended to all countries reviewed during its last session (Session 53, January 2010), to protect and promote breastfeeding as a fundamental right of the child. These recommendations were the consequence of reports submitted to the Committee by National IBFAN Groups on the situation of breastfeeding in their countries. IBFAN considers this a great achievement in relation to its mission of upholding breastfeeding rights for children and mothers all around the world. Countries reviewed included Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mongolia, Norway and Paraguay.

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Global Breastfeeding
Partners’ Forum (GBPF)

Participants will have plenary and workshop sessions as well as exhibition and other open spaces for the creative arts and celebration! All WABA friends and people from various breastfeeding network are encouraged to take advantage of the space to share their work, resources and creativity.

Congress for practicing physicians and health professionals from all fields related to and interested in men’s health.
Prof. Siegfried Meryn explained that there is overwhelming irrefutable evidence from many scientific studies of the significant disparity in gender health. All over the world, men live shorter than women and suffer more from heart disease and cancer. Health risk factors are more common among men including smoking, alcohol abuse and overweight. This reduces the opportunities of their lending a hand to lactating mothers as parents. In addition, men utilize preventive health services less frequently. This disparity is even more pronounced in populations of low socioeconomic status. For more information, click on the following link - http://www.ismh.org

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 2 January - June 2010

Breast Milk Advocates Evaluate
Global Partnerships
By Martin Nkematabong, Cameroon Tribune

The national networking group of infant and young child feeding in Cameroon has urged the government to formulate strategies aimed at sustaining breastfeeding during emergencies. The network met at its 6th ordinary general assembly session in Douala neighbourhood of Bonamikano. Some 27 delegates of the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, (FECABPA) operating in the South, Centre, Littoral North west and South West regions of Cameroon on Saturday April 24, 2010 converged at the Women Gender Council Counselling Centre in Bonamikano , Bonassama health district in Douala City neighbourhood to examine progress made in 2009, through maternal care and infant nutrition programs, to improve on the lives of mothers and infants in their respective communities.

The Coordinator of WABA Men’s Working Group and Focal Point for IBFAN Cameroon used the opportunity to inform Cameroon’s infant and young child feeding activists that the 8th Conference of IBFAN Africa has been announced in its regional bulletin from the 21st—23rd September 2010 in Mauritius Island and that members should start scouting funds for their travel, accommodation and other issues. The theme of the conference has been announced as, “Breastfeeding, Child Survival and the Role of Infant and Young Child Feeding”. In line with IBFAN’s 30th Anniversary, the conference will be opened by a celebration and launch of gBICS. The International Coordinator of the World Breastfeeding Week, Julianna Lim Abdullah reported from WABA Secretariat that WBW celebrants in 2009 were from over 170 countries and that more than 500 events took place globally involving more than 800,000 celebrants. The 2009 WBW was described as the greatest outreach event in its history and WBW 2010 would even be more.The theme/slogan for WBW 2010 decided by the WABA Steering Committee at its October 2009 meeting is “Breastfeeding - Just 10 Steps! The Baby-Friendly Way.”
Martin Nkematabong is a member of
FECABPA Fathers’ Support Group

MI Question:
Parenting & Relationship

Many parents have observed that great advice for dads is hard to come by. While there are hundreds of books about child development and motherhood, very little has been written about fatherhood, how fathers change and develop as parents, or even how children influence their fathers’ development. Currently, men are being taught how to avoid gender stereotypes between their sons and daughters. Still most fathers find themselves treating children of opposite sexes differently. How can fathers be kept from falling into stereotype traps and instead parent their children equally?
MI Suggestion: Well, it's not going to be easy; old habits are hard to break. But MI suggests a few steps that ought to get fathers started:
Don't over-coddle your girls. When they cry from frustration let them know they're capable of more and push them a little harder.
Cuddle your boys more. It can't hurt and it might even make them smarter.
Take turns sharing household tasks with your wife--driving, lawn mowing, meal preparation, household repairs--with your spouse. In their early years your kids are going to get most of their ideas about gender roles from watching you. Sharing domestic responsibilities will make it less likely that your child will assume that there are "boy" jobs and "girl" jobs.
Outside the home, expose your children to adults working in non-traditional occupations. You might want to start with a female paediatrician. And at school, look for classes that have some male teachers.
Expose your kids to a full range of toys-before they have a chance to learn what they're "supposed" to play with. But don't beat yourself up if things don't always go the way you want. Sometimes boys make guns out of toast and girls make babies out of towels.
Respect your child's wishes. If your child requests a gender-specific toy, you might want to gently challenge the choice, but snatching Babies away from your daughter and "Motor or House" figures away from your son will make them want those toys even more.
Parents should watch out for the media. No matter what you do, your child is going to get hit with hundreds of sex stereotyped messages--and it'll happen right in your own living room. Watching television with your children and explaining what they're seeing can minimize some of the negative messages they're likely to get.

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 3 January - June 2010

A Word to Fathers by Jill Cohen

As a father, you play a vital role in pregnancy and birth. Since you are responsible for getting the baby in, you are also a major support for getting the baby out. Women need to feel comfortable when having a baby. Your presence, love and support help create the perfect birth.

.Many men do not know how they fit in during the childbearing year. In the past, men were excluded from the birthing process, setting the precedent that men were an unneeded, unwanted presence. It is now a known fact that one-on-one contact from the partner helps create a better, less interceptive birth. Why? Because your woman needs you! You are her best friend, her confidante. That powerful connection promotes security and trust, and these are the elements to successful pregnancy and birth.
When a woman is in her early months of pregnancy, it may be difficult to relate to how much her body and mind are changing. Patience and understanding are key to maintaining good relations. As her belly swells and your baby kicks, you can feel the movement and hear the heartbeat. Now it is easier to relate to what is going on! As the pregnancy evolves and birth becomes more imminent, your woman will lean on you. Her needs and wants will become your guide to how to be. The process is natural. You will also learn what your own role and needs are. With good communication everything falls into place. Mother Nature provides learning tools toward parenting for both of you.
Birth is a woman's time. The power which her body follows in order to open and let the baby emerge is a primal force of nature. What the birthing woman asks for is what she needs. Even the quietest, shyest women become unabashedly direct during the forces of labour. Your partner will tell you what she wants or doesn't want. You will be proud of the strength she displays. Your role is to dance along and love her through this magnificent process. Although it may be difficult for you to watch your partner in discomfort, remembering that your baby will arrive soon and that this is a natural and good thing helps to meet the greater goal. Birth becomes not so difficult and in fact is fun! And remember, you are vital to the process.
However, it also is important for you to find what is comfortable for you. How involved you are is your choice. In this culture we have progressed from complete exclusion of men in the birth to demanding their presence. It is between you and your partner to find what works best for you, and there is plenty of middle ground. You and your partner will only be pregnant and birthing a few precious times in this life. Enjoy and cherish these experiences. Fathering a child makes you part of a continuing evolutionary process, involving you in the production not only of your children, but your grandchildren and all generations to come.
Jill Cohen has been a community midwife in Eugene, Oregon for more than 20 years. She has been with Midwifery Today for 14 years, where she is associate editor of Midwifery Today magazine and senior editor of The Birthkit. Jill Cohen lives in Gates, Oregon, with her husband and two of her four children. After practicing as a lay midwife for 20 years, she has now returned to school to get a nursing degree. She has been with Midwifery Today since 1990, where she is associate editor of Midwifery Today magazine.

Gender Equality Indices:
Numbers Don’t Lie, and They Also Don’t
Tell the Whole Story...
By Masum Momaya, AWID

Each year various statistical indicators assess whether gender equality is indeed progressing. These numbers remind us of some powerful circumstances women face, but they also raise questions at the heart of why rights differ on paper and in reality.
A world of statistics
If rights’ advocates – or even the general public – were polled as to which countries came closest to achieving gender equality, the usual suspects would emerge: Nordic countries (Iceland, Norway and Sweden), some of their neighbours (the Netherlands and Switzerland) and other Northern nations (Australia and Canada). But what about countries such as Cameroon, Lesotho, the Philippines, Rwanda and South Africa – all nations that featured highly on several gender equality measures this year? What bolstered these countries’ rankings?
Progress towards gender equality is measured annually through various statistical indices, including the gender-related development index (GDI), produced by the United Nations, the Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) put forth by the World Economic Forum and the Gender Equity Index (GEI), compiled by Social Watch, an international network of citizens’ organizations. These indices are composite calculations of consistently collected and widely available statistics, including those related to life expectancy, school enrollment, labour force participation and political representation. Gathered since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, these statistics serve as both indicators and proxies for a wide range of markers of equality. They are calculated for both women and men at the country level, and countries are ranked as to how well they are doing in comparison to each other and over time.

Mother Support for Breastfeeding Booklet

Special congratulations to the Mother Support Task Force for publishing the “Mother Support for Breastfeeding Booklet.” We are recommending members of the men’s working group and breastfeeding advocates to get their own copy of the wonderful booklet from WABA. The booklet is exactly what is needed: It is an easy reference of selected statements and excerpts about Mother Support from key international documents. The booklet also describes early calls for action for Mother Support and details the historical development in Global Initiatives and International Policies. It is through compilations like “Mother Support for Breastfeeding Booklet.” that we can continue to work together to get the word out to the public at large about how every pregnant and breastfeeding mother needs support. It is by calling communities to action that mothers and babies worldwide will hear the plea that goes out from our hearts to them. As 2010 get to the middle, WABA’s MWG would like to take this special moment to thank the Mother Support Task Force team for the great work done throughout and to commend the group for the accomplished tasks. We send to each of you our very kind regards and best wishes of the season. If you need a copy, of the booklet please contact : Julianna Lim,
waba@waba.org.my.

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 4 January - June 2010

Birthing the World Conference
In Quebec, Canada

The Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ) has made public that BIRTHING THE WORLD will hold at the Quebec City Convention Centre, from November 25-26, 2010. The Conference on Best Practices in Perinatal Care aims at exploring and reflecting upon an interdisciplinary perspective, the multiple dimensions of the early period of life. This event is intended as a major step forward in how health experts conceive and perceive perinatal care. The conference gives a unique opportunity for perinatal care practitioners of all stripes to come together around common issues relating to childbirth, breastfeeding and becoming parents, to share their knowledge with one another and to concert their efforts for the benefit of pregnant women and their families. It is expected to draw to one location a broad array of perinatal care practitioners who, though operating in the same field, rarely get the chance to share their experiences and questions. It is being organized in partnership with the Association des omnipraticiens en périnatalité du Québec (AOPQ), the Regroupement des Sages-femmes du Québec (RSFQ) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC). A Birthing the World website has been launched to inform the public on activities surrounding the conference. For more information, click on the following link - www.birthingtheworld.com

2010 Colorado FatherLove Tour for
Parents and Birth Professionals

Long gone are the days when a father paced back and forth in a smoky hospital waiting room while his wife gave birth elsewhere, in a room full of strangers. This was the stereotype during the mid-twentieth century. Today, nearly 90% of fathers are present at the birth of their children. A lot is known about the changes a woman goes through as she becomes a mother, but what about the changes of a man into a dad?
London-based author Patrick Houser visited Colorado,USA from April 29 – May 8, 2010 to talk about becoming a dad.

WBTI Monitoring & Evaluation

IBFAN Africa successfully carried out training workshops in Zimbabwe, Cameroon and South Africa on conducting periodic monitoring and evaluation of infant and young child feeding practices, policies and programmes using the simple-to-use World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) tool. The Regional Coordinator of IBFAN Africa, Mrs. Joyce Chanetsa facilitated the workshop in Zimbabwe last November 2 and 3, while IBFAN Africa Consultant, Pauline Kisanga, on November 12 and 13 carried out a similar exercise in Cameroon and Thulani Maphosa, the Chief Program Officer for IBFAN Africa went to South Africa. More countries are expected to benefit from the training in 2010.
The objectives of the WBTi training are:
To sensitize participants on the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding and how it is linked to the WBTi tool..
To import knowledge and skills on the application of the WBTi tool for monitoring and evaluation as wellas for advocacy and action to improve IYCF;
To discuss unique national situations highlighted by the tool;
To identify sources of local data and methods of collection;
To develop an Action Plan for the first WBTi national assessment. Reports are posted on the WBTi website at http://www.worldbreastfeedingtrends.org/ .
According reports, rates of exclusive breastfeeding in South Africa have drastically reduced over the years due to weak regulatory instruments. Other contributing factors are the lack of coordination and the proliferation of mixed messages on breastfeeding in the context of HIV.

Houser made stops in Denver, Salida, Grand Junction and Durango according to the programme of the fatherlove tour for parents and birth professionals. . His workshops, presentations and classes on “Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting”, “Including Fathers in our Perinatal and Breastfeeding Language”, “When Dads Have Babies: The Science of FatherLove“, “Proud Papas – Creating Community-Supported Fathers’ Groups”, “Supporting Fathers in Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding and Early Parenting” were designed to educate parents, birth professionals and healthcare providers on the importance of the father’s role in pregnancy, birth and early parenting. According to Houser, “The transition to fatherhood is one of the most significant and challenging experiences a man will ever face. In order to have a satisfying and successful experience, fathers must feel safe, supported and confident. To optimize the possibilities for their families, they need to provide appropriate educational, physical and emotional support for ‘father love’.”
We would like to use this opportunity to say, that Houser’s workshops and presentations engage participants in both new and timeless information: the idea that fathers go through significant hormonal changes in much the same way as their wives, that they too need support during these transitions in order to best support their families, and that they must attend counselling sessions to learn how they themselves were fathered. Patrick is co-founded Fathers-To-Be International and works internationally with expectant and new dads, birthcare professionals and educators. He is the author of Fathers-To-Be Handbook: A Roadmap for the Transition to Fatherhood. For more information, please click on the following link=www.wisdomwithinyourbody.org/fatherlovedenver

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 5 January - June 2010

Research: Breastfeeding would save
lives and money
By Lindsey Tanner, Ap Medical Writer

A cost analysis says, the lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women breast-fed their babies for the first six months of life. These startling results, published online in the journal “Paediatrics”, are only an estimate and several experts who reviewed the analysis have said the methods and conclusions seem sound.
"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Paediatrics’ breast-feeding section.
The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
The magnitude of health benefits linked to breastfeeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.
Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.
The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breastfeeding.
The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breastfeeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago paediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance. But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
The paediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Dr. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed. "Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

A Father's Memories during Birthing

No other joy I have experienced can compare with watching my child come wriggling out into the world and with being present for the breathtaking first moments of a new human being, Steve Hinnefeld told Midwifery Today. Almost all his memories of the births of his three children are memories that he treasures. Steve Hinnefeld adds that some birth memories are less pleasant, and those, too, are instructive and worth sharing. One involves the birth of his daughter, Amelia, twelve years ago. His wife Theresa went into labour while she was at work on the afternoon of February 11, 1987. They met at home, then after waiting a couple of hours, took their three-year-old son to a friend's house and went to the hospital, two blocks away. They were feeling fairly confident. Their son's birth, at the same hospital, had gone quickly and well, helped along by a supportive and experienced OB nurse. They had talked to the doctor who would be delivering the baby, explaining that they wanted as little intervention as possible and the doctor assured them with a "Don't worry, I'll support you 100 percent.” When they got to the hospital, however, the doctor wasn't there. And the nurse who was assigned to Theresa insisted that she had to be connected to an electronic foetal monitor. The baby's heart rate was a little elevated, she explained in a no-nonsense manner, when we balked at the idea. "Sorry, it's hospital policy," she said, insisting the machine had to be used at least until the doctor arrived. So a large, uncomfortable belt was trapped unceremoniously around Theresa's contracting belly, connecting her to a machine that she recall being as big as a chest of drawers. The machine beeped and whistled. Lights blinked on and off. Mysterious numbers flashed on digital screens. The entire effect was discomforting, distracting and annoying, at least to the father who waited. He did not know how long it went on. It seemed like a long time, although they were only at the hospital for about two hours before their daughter was born. Eventually the doctor showed up, and the father has never forgiven him. The doctor went first to the machine and checked all the readings and dials before turning to Theresa and released her from the oversized belt. When their third child, Kevin, was born three years later, they were ready. A different nurse insisted the monitor was needed. "No, sorry," they said, "We don't want it." The nurse seemed to accept their refusal of the device. Then, every fifteen minutes or so, she came back and gently tried to persuade Theresa to be hooked up. Again they said, "Sorry, no." Finally they agreed to a compromise: The nurse could periodically hold the sensor against Theresa's belly and the sound on the machine was turned all the way down—no belt and no beeps. Today these children are a long way from being babies, and it's sometimes hard for Steve to recall all the details about who was born when, how much they weighed and so on. He remains grateful that they were, and are, in good health, and that he had the privilege of being part of their birth. It is from what he saw, that he understood why lawyers and accountants write policies that promote defensive medicine. He realized that hospital employees have no real choice but to carry out those policies. And he accepts that his memories may not be completely accurate. On the other hand, Theresa, recalls the business with the monitor of not being big a deal. Give us your reactions and tell us your story too for WABA Men’s Initiative e-newsletter.

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 6 January - June 2010

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon On Maternal Health

Un Secretary `General, Ban Ki-moon, has said Maternal Health is the Millennium Development Goal where we have lagged furthest behind.
Speaking to parliamentarians in Yaounde, Cameroon during a 48 hour visit on the 9th June, 2010, he echoed that it is important that we are all interested and care about what is happening in every country of the world. He added that at September's MDG summit, he will call on governments to develop a results-oriented action plans, with concrete steps and time- lines. He quoted a Cameroonian proverb that teaches us that "A chattering bird builds no nest and that we need less talk, but more action”. The effect of action will showcase success stories...scale them up...create partnerships that will allow us to do even more. He observed that, Africa needs true partnership...partnerships where donors listen to recipients and tailor their assistance to Africa's needs. Maternal Health is the Millennium Development Goal where we have lagged furthest behind. Yet if Africa can succeed here, it will touch off a virtuous "ripple-effect" through all the Goals. Africa needs to combine the efforts of donors and recipients with

private sector and civil society initiatives. One of the high moments of the UN Secretary General’s visit was a State House audience on Thursday, June 10 during which Ban Ki-moon was knighted by President Paul Biya as Grand Officer of the National Order of Valour.
James Achanyi-Fontem

Diarrhoea in children with HIV: A Clinical Review

Princess Diana of Wales Memorial Fund is supporting the management of diarrhoea in children with HIV through NAM, a British Community-based organisation registered charity that supports people living and working with HIV by providing accurate, impartial, and up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS. The clinical review covers:
Causes of diarrhoea
Types of diarrhoea, and how to assess and classified diarrhoea in children
Management of dehydration
Treatments for diarrhoea and
Approaches to prevention
Other partners of the programme include the UK government’s Department for International Development (DfID) and the Stop TB department of the World Health Organization. For further information please visit http://www.aidsmap.com/hatip

In another development, Nand Wadhwani, Coordinator of Health Education To Villages, has made a call for action and contributed to the WHO/UNICEF publication on why children are still dying and what can be done.
According to Nand, diarrhoeal disease still takes the lives of more young children around the world than nearly any other illness. But today, the situation can be changed.
He adds, that with more resources and effective implementation of available health, water and sanitation solutions, millions of children can be saved. That diarrhoea remains a leading cause of death among children around the world exemplifies the urgency of reinvigorating efforts to improve child health and human development. The Coordinator of Health Education To Villages invites advocacy groups to add their voices by urging donors, international health policymakers, national leaders, and the private sector to commit resources and political will to reduce deaths and illness from diarrhoeal disease. For more, click on the following link - http://www.eddcontrol.org/call-to-action.php

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 7 January - June 2010

Latest gender equality measures grim but prescriptive

Unsurprisingly, all indices in 2009, including the GDI, GGI and GEI show that gender inequality is pervasive and that the gap is closing slowly or not at all in many places. In fact, it is even widening in some countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, according to Social Watch’s GEI. Moreover, several of the indices point out that the economic gains made by women in 2008 – mainly through paying jobs in formal economic sectors – were reversed in 2009 in the wake of the systemic crisis – and likely well before it climbed to its current heights. Alongside these grim conclusions, though, comes another finding bolstered by the appearance of countries such as South Africa in the GGI’s “top ten” and Rwanda’s #3 ranking on the GEI: namely, that public policies have a significant impact on gender equality, regardless of the level of overall economic development. For example, Rwanda ranks highly despite still recovering from brutal genocide and having meager economic resources compared to most countries in the Global North. Its ranking was elevated due to its high level of women’s representation in parliament and marked efforts to create income generating opportunities for women. Policymakers use the example of Rwanda to argue that poor countries have no excuse for leaving girls out of schools and women out of jobs and opportunities for political participation. Conversely, this conclusion also means that gender equality is not guaranteed in rich countries. Even though many have strong foundations – dedicated allocation of resources and gender-sensitive public policies – upon which to build, they need to continue to take active steps in bringing about equality and need to ensure that all women are included in their efforts. The overall message: financial resources are necessary but not sufficient to bring about gender equality; political will and proactive public policies can make a significant difference.
Statistics make irrevocable points
Findings like this ring loud and clear in mainstream media and among global audiences.

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, newspaper columnists and broadcast reporters annually revisit the subject, highlighting for the general public what women’s rights advocates already know: that there is not enough progress. Also, because the statistics used in gender equality indices are widely accepted and internationally recognized, advocates can also use them to hold governments accountable for promises they have not kept or praise them for policies that are working.
For example, Natalia Cardona, Advocacy Director at Social Watch, took the GEI findings to the UN Commission of the Status of Women meetings in New York in March 2010, where government representatives and members of civil society organizations had gathered to discuss progress made since the creation of the Beijing Platform for Action 15 years ago. Cardona explained that because statistics used in the GEI are collected and accepted by governments, there is no way they can turn their back on such evidence or deny that gender inequality still exists. She argues that, based on the GEI, governments are not doing enough to promote gender equality. Overall, the GEI serves as a powerful tool to demand accountability in a historical moment where governments are reneging on their commitments to gender equality more than ever over the last few decades.
Also, because the GEI is the only index produced by a civil society organization (CSO), clearly delineates inequities and uses statistics consistent with the demands and concerns of CSOs, women’s rights NGOs often take it to their governments, arguing for evaluation and reform of ineffective programs and projects and making the case for new ones.
More of this story can be read in AWID’s weekly Friday File series, exploring important issues and events from a women’s rights perspective.

Bye! Bye! Kathy Baker & Viola Lennon

It is with deep regret that WABA MWG learnt about the passing away of Kathy Baker and Viola Lennon, all of La Leche League International. Kathy Baker passed away peacefully on Thursday 27 May, 2010 just after Viola had gone earlier on Friday, 22nd January, 2010 . Kathy was a certified Lactation Consultant and had worked for over 30 years with the La Leche League as a leader. Mother Viola Lennon was Co-Founder of La Leche League International and co-author of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Members of WABA MWG extend to the entire families and friends of Kathy Baker and Viola their hearty deep sympathies. May their souls rest in perfect peace!

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 8 January - June 2010

Male Involvement & Interaction in Sudan

For the first time in 12 years, male participants exceeded female participants with 54 out of 78 being male during a public interaction activity aimed at boosting community counsellor training. A six-day long course was organized by the Sudanese Association for Breastfeeding, SABA, tofinalize a WHO project on Infant and Young Child Feeding at South Kordonfan state.During the training, male participants showed a remarkable level of interaction, response and competitive commitment to promote exclusive breastfeeding in their village. As decision makers within family setting, the men remarked that they now fully realize that optimal feeding and care for the young child is equally the responsibility of the fathers, as well as the mothers. Father support groups have been formed in Kordonfan to modify the cultural infringement by getting the men to perceive child care as a shared activity.The WHO project was designed within the frame work of Integrated Community Recovery Development, (ICRD). The project covered 15 villages in two localities and the role of SABA was to assist in improving counselling skills among the health providers. The outcome was to improve poor levels of infant and young child health.

How to submit articles for publication
in MS E-newsletter
The themes of interest should refer to any actions taken, specific work done, investigations and projects carried out from different perspectives and from different parts of the world which have provided support to women in their role as breastfeeding mothers.
The guidelines for contributing an article are as follows:
Up to, but not exceeding 250 words.
Name, Title, Address, Telephone, Fax and
e-mail of the author
Affiliation
Brief biography (5-10 lines)
Web site (if available)
Please be specific in including details where relevant: names of places, persons and exact dates of events. Try as much as possible for your contributions to meet datelines for publication.
If there is a lot of information, please write a summary of 250 words or less and provide a website url or link for readers to access the full report or article or send the full report or article and the MWG will send it to WABA for considering placing on the WABA website on the Men’s Initiative web page.
The deadline for submitting articles for consideration for January to June edition is May 15 and for the July to December edition is November 15.
If you submit an article and it does not appear in an edition, it may be reserved or used for a future issue.

Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust led by Nand Wadhwani has published a new video series on You Tube at “tensteps.org” to sensitize the public on the relevance of the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding”. As the Innocenti declaration is celebrated, Nand simply reminds us of what was said in 1991. Revisit this message in video form:
“Imagine that the world had invented a new “Dream Product” to feed and immunize everyone born on Earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery – and helped mothers to plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer...
Then imagine that the world refused to use it... This scenario is not alas, a fiction. The “Dream Product” is human breastmilk, available to us all at birth, and yet we are not using it.”
UNICEF 1991.

WABA MWG Core Group Members
The Global Initiative for Father Support (GIFS) was launched at the Global Forum II, Arusha Tanzania, 2002 to support Fathers of breastfeeding children.
In October 2006, in Penang, Malaysia, the WABA Men’s Initiative was born.
WABA MWG Core Group Members
Coordinator: James Achanyi-Fontem, Cameroon
Per Gunnar Engblom, Sweden
Ray Maseko, Swaziland
Qamar Naseem, Pakistan
Arturo Arteaga Villaroel, Mexico
Peter Breife, Sweden
Jose Quiros, Costa Rica
Santiago Vallone, Argentina
The Men’s Initiative Newsletter is designed to share news, plans and actions of men’s/young male’s involvement and roles in the breastfeeding movement, mother support, gender justice and other areas of interest. If you are a father supporting breastfeeding, or know of someone working with a father support group, send us a report of your activities.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of individuals and organisations concerned with the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide based on the Innocenti Declarations, the Ten Links for Nurturing the Future and the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Its core partners are International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), La Leche League International (LLLI), International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), Wellstart International and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). WABA is in consultative status with UNICEF and an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
WABA, PO Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-658 4816 Fax: 604-657 2655
Email: waba@waba.org.my - camlink2001@yahoo.com
Website: www.waba.org.my/ http://www.waba.org.my/whatwedo/mensinitiative/index.htm
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The views expressed in the articles, supplements and inserts, do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of WABA or its Core Partners.

WABA MI E-newsletter Vol. 2 N°3 Page 9 January - June 2010

Solving Problems Ideas...
We need to find new ways to solve problems...........and that goes as well as to Breastfeeding, babies, health, family issues. There is so much to be done. I worked ina hospital with a doctor who is also a volunteer at another hospital. We try to support each other. We feel that to make sure that a hospital supports breastfeeding, there needs to be a committee that meets often, monitors the work of doctors and nurses and support volunteers.
Pushpa Panadam