2013

Breastfeeding Advocacy and Practice



Breastfeeding Advocacy and Practice


5th Regional Outreach Course
11th – 23rd November 2013
Penang, Malaysia


group photo


Breastfeeding: Advocacy and Practice (BAP) course is a comprehensive breastfeeding course that combines theory and practice. The course is structured around UNICEF and WHO policy on teaching about breastfeeding, and has been adapted for this region from the “Breastfeeding Practice and Policy” course which has been taught in London for over 20 years in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF.

This course is aimed at those in South East Asia, who are responsible for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and for implementing the WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. This course updates and equips participants with skills and knowledge for the coordination of action on breastfeeding, training other health staff and acting as resource personnel or focal points on infant feeding.

The fifth eleven-day Regional Outreach BAP course for doctors and senior health professionals in South East Asia was held in Penang, Malaysia from 11 to 23 November 2013, conducted in collaboration with the Infant Feeding Consortium (IFC). 16 participants from 6 countries namely Hong Kong, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia were trained as resource experts for infant feeding programmes in scientific, public health and clinical aspects of the subject.

The course was conducted by Dr Felicity Savage and Sandra Lang and co-facilitated by Chuah Pei Ching (Health and Information Officer of WABA).

There were four invited speakers to conduct on specific topics – Dr. Victor p. Karunan, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF Malaysia (gave a global overview of IYCF), Sarah Amin and Pushpa Panadam from WABA Mother Support Task Force (discussed about advocacy activities – what you might do) and Annelies Allain, Director of International Code Documentation Centre (ICDC) (gave a session on The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitute).

The main emphasis of the course will be on the management of breastfeeding, breastfeeding counselling and the baby-friendly hospital initiative. Complementary feeding and HIV and infant feeding will also be included, and teaching throughout will reflect participants’ need to learn about advocacy and training methodology.

During the course participants have the opportunity of going on four clinical placements to visit hospital and community based health facilities. These allow them to put some of the practical, comparative, analytical and communication skills which they have learnt in the classroom into practice.



Among the feedback received from the participants:



Iris Kwong Ching-yi
- Senior Nursing Officer, Hong Kong
The 2-week formal training made me gain up-to-date breastfeeding knowledge and skills, realised the global trend of breastfeeding practices, get valuable experience sharing from healthcare professionals from different countries and learn their good practices. The training instilled me confidence besides knowledge and skills in breastfeeding promotion. Professionals who responsible for planning and advocacy work for breastfeeding promotion should undergo such comprehensive training.


Setiya Hartiningtiyaswati
– Lecturer of Midwifery diploma programme, Indonesia
Day by day at the course, they prove me that breastmilk is the best. They gave explanation from the basic theory till the complicated one. I enjoy and trust it. Why i believed them? Because, It’s based on the research. As a student, research result is the most powerful evidence^^

BAP Course is just like a "complete package" for me. The package consisting of:
1. Beside the theory, they gave me an opportunity to implement it by clinical practice to the real breastfeeding situation.
2. BAP drive me to take action after the course. So that the benefits of the course not only for me, but also for the women around me, it’s the great part. I realise that I did nothing about breastfeeding, I think now is the perfect time begin it all.

That’s why, I can say for all of people who concern about breastfeeding, no doubt to join BAP course. I bet it ^_^


Clara, Wong Sze Ki
- Registered Nurse, Hong Kong
From the course, my knowledge on breastfeeding was reinforced and updated. I got to realise the importance of advocacy in my professional. It’s great that clinical practice sessions were arranged. Apart from applying the skills I learnt, I widened my horizons on what other hospitals and clinics were doing. It also provided a great chance for experience sharing as participants were came from other different Asian countries. What’s more, I was impressed by the enthusiasm from the course directors on breastfeeding. As a health care professional, I have the responsibility to promote, support and protect breastfeeding. That’s the most important message I got form the course.


Juliana Binti Abdul Razak
- Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Malaysia
Being a participant in this course was such a privilege as despite the years of experience and involvement, I was introduced to different aspects of breastfeeding and its association. I was able to see the different practices and beliefs of other races and countries on breastfeeding. It has thought me of more lateral thinking in approaching difficult situations or problems rather than the usual manner of conduct. It has allowed me to even understand better the benefits and the nature that it upholds which I have often violated being an ordinary clinician.

The practical sessions had also allowed me to observe my own practice and its effect on mothers and their children from a different angle. This has given me many ideas to improve on my practice and my colleagues’ in order to maintain a baby friendly environment not just in the hospital but to sustain it at home and community.

Finally, the course has greatly motivated me to continue on promoting and advocating breastfeeding to mothers and those involved with the aim of creating a Baby-friendly World.


Hajah Si-Rose Binti Haji Musa
- Staff Nurse, Brunei Darussalam
After attending the course it inspires me to be more motivated with the current knowledge and skill taught in related to my daily work to promote and support breastfeeding. I would encourage those health workers working within the government and non-government who work closely with mothers and baby to attend this course.

In this course, it is also interesting to learn and share experiences about breastfeeding with other participants. I learned how to make baby and breast models which is very useful to share with my other colleagues in the hospital or clinic settings as this will save costs and easily available at all time. We also had the opportunity to visit Seberang Jaya Hospital and Seberang Jaya Community Health Clinic. This exposed us more by having interactive sessions with the mothers and their babies.


Rose Wynn B. Castillo
- Staff Nurse, Brunei Darussalam
As a staff Nurse working hand in hand with new mothers and newborns, the course really opened my mind regarding the dangers of giving other feeding rather that breastfeeding, and I had broader knowledge of the long term importance of breastfeeding to the babies. The new facts that were given to us will be very helpful in our job in giving antenatal information to the couples, assisting mothers, giving counselling and encouraging mother to pursue exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months and continue up to 2 years.

After I returned from the course, I’ve started sharing the knowledge I learn to my colleagues and I’d like to encourage not only my fellow nurses to attend the course but most importantly our doctors so the breastfeeding foundation in our Hospital will be stronger. Again, I thanked the organisers and lecturers of the course and hope you continue to help our nation to have healthier population.


Saraiorn Thonginnetra
- Instructor at Department of Pediatrics, Thailand
The BAP course contained comprehensive knowledge and clinical practice base needed in order to practice in breastfeeding. The course also focused on the concepts that empower me to improve the breastfeeding service in my own workplace.

The BAP course was well organised and full of hospitality. Thank you very much to all of the staffs.


Hajah Fleur-De-Liz Villamoya Ebrahim
- Staff Nurse, Brunei Darussalam
Attending BAP Course has given me the opportunity to enhance my knowledge on the importance of breastfeeding as it provides the most ideal infant nutrition and the benefits that could contribute to their normal growth and development and even the survival of infants and young children. The course has helped me improve my communication skills to tackle mothers who have negative issues regarding breastfeeding and mothers who made their own choices of infant feeding aside from breastmilk. It has also further developed my skills and techniques on assisting mothers on proper breast attachment/latching on that will make breastfeeding a success.

Overall, this course has inspired me and made me more confident and competent in dealing with my clients and it has motivated me to share my new learned knowledge and skills with my colleagues and other health care workers in the maternity unit where I work.


Hajah Nasib Binti Lamit
- Senior Staff Nurse, Brunei Darussalam
After attending the course I feel more confident and motivated with the current knowledge and skill the taught during the course which is related to my daily work to promote and support breastfeeding. I would like those health workers working either with the government and non-government sectors who work are closely with mothers and baby to attend this beneficial course.

It is also interesting to learn and share experiences about breastfeeding with other participants. From their presentation, it allows us to understand, get an overview and shared current breastfeeding situation and problem from each of their country and it helps me to overcome and standardise breastfeeding problem in dealing with mothers.


Jonathan Khoo
- a film graduate of Middlesex University in the U.K, helped WABA create a Breasfeeding Advocacy and Practice (BAP) Course promotional video . He shared with us his perspective as a young man about the BAP Course and breastfeeding.

In today's fast-paced world, some things begin to change for the better of our lives. Some things not really so. We want things to be fast, easy and also instant. We tend to take shortcuts in our lives as we don't see the need of going through the process. At times, skipping through a process may not bring benefit to us partly because we don’t see the point of spending time to understanding the process and why shortcuts were created in the first place.

As a single young adult male in my late twenties who loves capturing and making videos, being given the opportunity to be involved in filming the Breastfeeding Advocacy and Practice Course (BAP) event on November has brought a new perspective to the nurturing of infants. The shortcut of replacing breastfeeding with formula milk seems to be something that needs to be re-looked into. We need to understand why breastfeeding a child is better than using formula milk. I always thought that formula milk would produce the same results as mother’s milk and now I realize that it cannot compare at all.

During the duration of my task as the videographer, I have seen and learnt so much through this course, hearing the hearts of the trainers in wanting to share why women should take their time in giving their best to their children. I have learnt that there are many benefits to breastfeeding. Firstly, it helps the mother through skin to skin bonding. Secondly, it gives nutrition, antibodies and supplements to a baby in a way formula milk cannot. Thirdly, it prevents mothers from getting sick and reduces the potential of contracting breast cancer. Lastly, it helps the family in their finances by not spending money to purchase extremely expensive formula milk.

To my amazement, the world breastfeeding statistics show that today’s working mother finds it a challenge to breastfeed, due to time, space and privacy of their environment. I believe that we all can make a change if we learn to advocate and share how important this process is in changing lives and leading our future generation by going back to something fundamental. If our children are a priority, the challenges that we face in life should not stop us from giving our best them.

After all, it is God’s design for us as humans to provide nurturing the natural way and I am sure that it is the best way for a baby’s growth in his or her life. So let us support breastfeeding for the good of our community and the future of our generations to come. I personally would like to encourage all women to sign up for this course. It not only exposes you theoretically but also practically in the importance and ways of breastfeeding.

Click here to download brochure.