Funding Appeal 2008 – 2012
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The global IBFAN network is seeking support to expand and consolidate its work in the next five years, therefore we are proud to announce that the document IBFAN’s Strategic Priorities – Funding Appeal 2008 – 2012 is now being circulated among potential donors. It is available for interested parties from Jorge A. Restrepo at jorge.restrepo@gifa.org |
The document underlines the importance of the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding for the attainment of the Millenium Development Goals, in particular goal 4 on child survival and goal 5 on maternal health. UNICEF has recently announced that deaths of children under age five around the world dropped
below 10 million for the first time last year, attributing gains to the widespread adoption of basic health measures, including early and exclusive breastfeeding, measles immunization, Vitamin A supplements and
use of insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria.
The funding appeal shows how the work of IBFAN to protect breastfeeding and optimal infant and young child feeding practices is indispensable to achieve the Millenium Development Goal 4
(MDG-4):
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) guarantees, among other human rights instruments[1], the right of every child to the highest attainable standard of health. The 2002 Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child feeding is based on respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights.
- The foundations of sound health are firmly laid in childhood. Healthy children grow up into healthy and economically productive adults. Protecting and promoting breastfeeding is thus a sound economic investment.
- The World Bank has made a cost-benefit analysis of various nutrition programmes. The beneficial nutrition programmes with the lowest unit cost were salt iodization at $ 0.20 to $0.50 unit cost per participant, and breastfeeding promotion in hospitals at $0.30 to $0.40, if infant formula was removed from maternity wards[2].
- The Countdown to 2015 conference on Tracking Progress in Child Survival, held in London, UK, in December 2005, identified exclusive breastfeeding as a key indicator to track progress towards the achievement of MDG-4[3] and implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes as an indicator of national health policies[4].
- Out of the 69 countries with the world´s highest numbers or rates of child mortality, IBFAN is
active in 55. In many of these countries, IBFAN member groups play a key role and are recognized by governments and international partners as national actors in policy and programme implementation efforts.
IBFAN’s plan of action is centered on the following strategic thematic areas:
* Advocacy for implementation of the International Code and its subsequent relevant World Health Assembly resolutions
* The Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child’s right to healthy growth and development
* The risks of artificial feeding: intrinsic contamination of powdered infant formula
* HIV and infant feeding (HIV/IF)
* Infant feeding in emergencies (IFE)
* Advocacy for implementation of ILO Conventions and national legislation on maternity protection at the workplace
* Breastfeeding and reduction of obesity
* Sponsorship and conflicts of interest
Each region addresses the above mentioned areas according to their technical expertise and regional relevance. Priorities are assigned bearing in mind the availability of resources and capacities to deliver maximum impact.
The Strategic Priorities – Funding Appeal 2008 – 2012 ends with a complete budget for the whole
network and a breakdown by each regional or technical office.. Donors are given the possibility to indicate whether they would prefer to support the general working plan or only one specific thematic area or office.
For further information, please contact:
Jorge A. Restrepo
jorge.restrepo@gifa.org
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[1] Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); Declaration on Social Progress and Development (1969); General Comment on the right to food of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1999); Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
[2] The World Bank: Directions in Development: Repositioning Nutrition as Central to Development - A Strategy for Large-Scale Action. Washington, 2006
[3] The Lancet January 7, 2006, Vol. 367, pp. 3-5
[4] "Indicators for five aspects of comprehensive child health policy were assessed as a proxy for the overall status of national child health policy and implementation. They include the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes adopted by the WHO member states in 1981 as a minimum recommendation to protect, promote and support breastfeeding". Countdown to 2015, op. cit.
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