Project to improve breastfeeding rates in KZN
UKZN, KZN Department of Health, project aimed at improving exclusive breastfeeding rates, Durban, eThekwini, Berea Mail
UKZN and the KZN Department of Health have embarked on a three year project aimed at improving exclusive breastfeeding rates in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The project, valued at R32 million, is generously funded by KZN’s Department of Health and Elma Foundation and is titled, ‘KwaZulu-Natal Initiative for Breastfeeding Support (KIBS)’. It is a collaborative project including the DOH Department of Nutrition and UKZN’s Centre for Rural Health and Department of Paediatrics. The project will end in May 2017.
Tthe KIBS project was launched at UKZN on 5 August, during International Breastfeeding Week.
The KIBS project aims to improve breastfeeding rates among the most vulnerable newborns in the province by strengthening the provision of human milk banking to increase access to human milk for sick and small neonates in KwaZulu-Natal Province by 2017. To achieve this, human milk banks will be set up in 11 regional hospitals. The project also aims to strengthen, support and promote breastfeeding in health institutions to increase early and exclusive breastfeeding within KwaZulu-Natal communities by March 2017.
To achieve this, the DOH will create posts for 56 lactation advisors to support initiation of breastfeeding in all hospitals in KZN. The Department has already employed more than 500 nutrition advisors based in every primary health care facility, and this project will mentor and upskill these advisors by providing additional on-site support. This project will also develop the skills of 228 community health facilitators to support community caregivers to improve breastfeeding at the household level.
The third objective of the project is to increase acceptability of breastfeeding and human milk banking within KZN communities through community engagement and media messaging. A number of publicity drives promoting exclusive breastfeeding will be held in communities to create an awareness of its importance and relevance. The fourth objective is to monitor and evaluate the effect of interventions to promote breastfeeding on infant feeding practices in KwaZulu-Natal.
