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The
World Breastfeeding Week, WBW 2006 was celebrated in Asuncion, Paraguay,
in the second week in August: 7th.- 12th. August. The Red Cross Paraguay
Breastfeeding Committee, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare,
and the Mother and Baby Friendly Hospitals organized many activities
during the week.
A curse on “Monitoring of the Code on the Marketing of
the Breastmilk Substitutes” was conducted by Florencia Cerruti, IBFAN
Uruguay. This course was held prior to the WBW on the 27th.and 28th, July.
The International Code regulates the marketing of breastmilk substitutes
to ensure that breastmilk is the optimal nutrition for babies and
children. The marketing of the substitutes should not express on the
contrary neither through text nor graphics.
The
course was well attended by representatives from the
Ministry of Health, the Secretary of Childhood, the Red Cross
Hospital of Paraguay (the First Baby Friendly Hospital which was
internationally certified), NGOs that support Breastfeeding like La Leche
League(LLL) of Paraguay and Parhupar.
On
Friday, 28th July, Ms Cerruti also gave talks on the Code at
the Pediatric Society of Paraguay, at the Department of Pediatrics in the
Maternal Infant Center of the Hospital de Clínicas and the National
Hospital of Itagüa.
WBW in
Paraguay was officially launched on Wednesday, 9th August, at
the Red Cross Hospital of Paraguay. Dr. Carmen Frutos Almada spoke on the
WBW theme. The act was attended by medical residents and consultants of
the hospital, nurses, assistants and invited guest from different
organizations.
During
the week, daily activities were carried out at the Red Cross Hospital with
the support of volunteers from LLL Paraguay, Parhupar and the Hospital
itself. These included talks to mothers and future mothers. An exhibition
was also held on drawings by a primary school students based on the theme
of mothers, babies and breastfeeding.
The
closing ceremony was held on Friday, 11 August, at the Ministry of Health
and Social Welfare Auditorium. Later a meeting took place with the
representatives from the Department of Programmes of the Health Ministry,
UNICEF, LLL Paraguay, Parhupar and the Red Cross Hospital Breastfeeding
Committee. The formation of a National Breastfeeding Committee and its
future activities were discussed.
This report was prepared by
Maria (Pili) Pena, Paraguay and translated by Pushpa Panadam, Paraguay.
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