FROM 1-7 August, World Breastfeeding Week will be commemorated in 120 countries in the world. This year’s theme is "The Power of One: Breastfeeding Within One Hour of Birth” which seeks to emphasise the powerful benefits of breastfeeding an infant within its first hour of birth as the first step towards reducing mortality of infants, as well as children under the age of five. In fact, this can save one million babies.

World Breastfeeding Week, which is celebrated around the world to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding and to raise funds for breastfeeding support, was initiated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding (WABA) and first celebrated in 1992. It is endorsed by UNICEF, WHO and FAO. World Breastfeeding Week aims to emphasise the importance of breastfeeding to mothers, communities, health car providers and policy makers.

Key Issues

· World Breastfeeding Week presents a special opportunity for journalists in Africa to link prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) to the risks involved in breastfeeding when a mother s HIV positive.

· The power of One: It would be important for the media to look at how babies are saved through breastfeeding in the first hour. If there are any studies to confirm this, it would be important to refer to them.

· Because there are many myths surrounding the issue of breastfeeding when a mother is HIV positive, which has resulted in some mothers who are living with HIV opting not to breastfeed, the media can gather as many facts around the issue and through their articles or reports, can provide the public with accurate information.

· According to medical experts the average risk of an HIV positive mother passing the virus to her child through breast milk is one in seven. About one third of all HIV positive children in the world have been infected that way. Experts however argue that most of the transmission occurs during or close to the actual birth.

· During this week, it is important for the media to emphasise that an HIV positive mother who knows her status has to make an informed choice about breastfeeding or not. However, in our situation where substitutes may not be so easy to find, the mothers should know that they may be able to reduce the risk of transmission by breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months without adding any other foods or fluids to the infant’s diet as this reduces the risk of gut infections.

· It is important for mothers who are living with HIV who decide to breastfeed to prevent, and promptly treat, oral lesions and breast problems such as cracked nipples as transmission becomes easier in such instances.

· It is also important to look at the current support systems for mothers who choose not to breastfeed. Opting not to breastfeed has some cultural and traditional implications in some places. What is it like in your country? Can the media be useful in bringing such issues to the fore so that communities can embrace and support mothers who choose to go this route?

· Some studies are finding that there are factors in breast milk that can directly combat the cells that contribute to the transmission of HIV. Journalists would do well to look at these.

· Some countries have come up with events to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week that seek to raise more awareness about it. Journalists in the region should look at their individual countries and see what activities are lined up.

Sources:

1. www.womens-health.org.nz/breastfeed/bfweek2007.htm

2. multiples.about.com/b/a/257269.htm

3. www.ilca.org/news/wbw.php

4. www.lllusa.org/wbw/

5. www.waba.org.my/

6. www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0707/S00117.htm-

7. worldbreastfeedingweek.org/