CHSS is working with Yale School of Public Health as part of a global project to promote breastfeeding.
Sally Kendall, Professor of Community Nursing and Public Health, is leading the Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) programme for England, Scotland and Wales. The BBF programme involves a five-step process to accurately assess barriers to successful breastfeeding on a country-wide level.
Breastfeeding rates must improve around the world to meet the WHO’s 2025 global target of increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months to at least 50%. The BBF programme helps countries identify gaps in their own breastfeeding programmes, enabling focused resource allocation to ultimately lead to improved breastfeeding results.
Sally Kendall said: ‘Breastfeeding is one of the most cost-effective health interventions a nation can make. There is strong evidence that it is beneficial to the health of both mother and baby. Human milk is the perfect nutrition for babies and provide be provided for at least six months. For example, breastfeeding can reduce gastrointestinal infection in babies, promote mother/baby attachment, and protect against obesity. It also has a protective effect against breast cancer. However, breastfeeding rates in Britain remain low compared to other countries and we need to understand more about how to remove societal barriers and enable women to breastfeed.’
As well as Great Britain, Germany, Myanmar, Samoa, Mexico and Ghana, have accepted the challenge to reach this target by implementing the BBF programme.
Find out more about the project and our varied programme of research on our ‘current research’ webpage >
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