WHO August 2016

Figure: UNICEF/T. Viet Hung

As Le Huong Giang, 28, bounces her healthy 10-month-old son in her lap, she recalls her breastfeeding worries and proud accomplishments from the past year. While pregnant, she was worried she would not be able to feed Huy only breast milk for the first 6 months of his life.

Her views began to change, however, when she saw a television advertisement months before giving birth. Produced by a programme known as “Alive & Thrive”, the ad showed cute babies “talking” about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding and told mothers how they could access breastfeeding support.

After seeing the ad, Giang started attending counselling sessions with Doan Thi Thuy, a nurse at An Hai Bac Health Commune Station and counsellor at Little Sun Clinic. As part of Alive & Thrive, the clinic provides breastfeeding and child health support groups for pregnant women and mothers.

When time came to deliver her son, Giang knew what to do to give her newborn the best start at life. With the help of trained health staff, she put Huy to her breast and he immediately started nursing.

“I feel so thankful that I breastfed him,” says Huong Giang.

Creating a supportive community

Alive & Thrive, a programme managed by FHI 360 and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was launched in Viet Nam in 2009 to improve breastfeeding rates. In 2009, fewer than 20% of babies in Viet Nam were exclusively breastfed until they reached 6 months, as recommended by WHO.

“Breastmilk is all the child needs,” says Roger Mathisen, programme director for Alive & Thrive in Southeast Asia. “But many mothers believed they did not produce enough milk and as a result gave their infants water, formula and food prior to reaching 6 months of age.”

Additionally, women in the workplace often did not have enough maternal protection from their employers and not all health workers were convinced of breastmilk’s nutritional benefits.

See more details http://www.who.int/features/2016/Viet-Nam-breastfeeding-campaign/en/