Baby-friendly hospital training set to enhance infant health outcomes
Trainees during the inauguration of the second phase of the comprehensive five-day Focal Point Training programme for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) at Cara Lodge, Georgetown
The second phase of a comprehensive five-day Focal Point Training for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) at Cara Lodge, Georgetown, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), was conducted with the aim of enhancing infant healthcare outcomes.
In a release, the Health Ministry said that the overarching goal of the BFHI remains steadfastly to enhance infant health outcomes and save lives by championing breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support. The second phase is 11 focal points, consisting of proficient health workers specialised in midwifery and affiliated with public hospitals, undergoing training.
This, the Ministry said, will see midwives serving as the BFHI Focal Points within each region, empowered by the support of Food Policy, PAHO, and UNICEF. Through this movement, they will play a pivotal role in driving the implementation and facilitation of the BFHI across all 10 regions of Guyana. The facility re-certifications will be done as often as every two years to ensure that continued compliance with the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding is maintained.
Training models used by care workers to develop new approaches and strategies to improve health education at their respective facilities
The BFHI, spearheaded by PAHO/WHO and UNICEF, was introduced in 1991 and has been instrumental in encouraging healthcare facilities worldwide to adhere to the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Among some of the 10 steps are the training of all healthcare staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy, informing all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding, helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within half-hour of birth and showing mothers how to breastfeed.
Director of Family and Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton, in her remarks, said that this initiative would see more behavioural change among patients, and more education sessions were needed at an early stage.
‘’The earlier you start exposing people to information, the easier it is to have the behavioural change that we’re looking for; our antenatal clinics see at least 96 per cent, so we have no room to say that there isn’t a platform for us to begin the conversation about education on breastfeeding,” she explained.
