Topic: IYCF (Infant and Young Child Feeding)

CBRN emergencies are among the most alarming threats facing the world today. In modern warfare, there is increased risk of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons exposure and of nuclear emergencies due to damage to nuclear power plants. Most international agencies have action guidelines for the general population, but an urgent gap exists in guidance specifically for the breastfeeding population.  Before now, there was no centralised place for agencies or individuals to go to access vital information about the treatment of breastfeeding women, infants and young children and the safety of breastfeeding in CBRN crises.

Welcome to ENN’s Field Exchange podcast. This is the second episode in our two part-er on Complementary Feeding in Emergencies which accompanied the Special Section in FEX edition 68.

In this episode, ENN’s Eilise Brennan speaks to two members of UNICEF Bangladesh’s Nutrition team: Karanveer Singh, Nutrition Manager at UNICEF Cox’s Bazar office, (who has recently moved to UNICEF Nigeria) and Mohammad Zahidul Manir, a Nutrition Officer  also at UNICEF Cox’s Bazar office. They discuss improving the quality of complementary feeding both in Rohingya refugee camps and in host communities and how traditional ceremonies can support these initiatives. You can read more about the work here  - Improving the quality of complementary feeding in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

In this episode of the Emergency Nutrition Network Podcast, Eilise Brennan of ENN talks with nutritionist Aashima Garg of UNICEF MENA (Middle East and North Africa) about the latest edition of Field Exchange and its special series on complementary feeding in emergencies. They look at the global context and the challenges facing families across the world and why complementary feeding is such an essential part of a child's development. They also discuss UNICEF's action framework and several innovative approaches taking place right now in a variety of challenging humanitarian settings. You can find the articles themselves here

The nuclear emergency guidance note mentioned in this blog aims to help healthcare workers and emergency planners on the ground in their responses to infant and young child feeding in emergencies (IYCF-E) immediately after a nuclear power plant accident. The note does not cover IYCF in the context of nuclear warfare and should be used in conjunction with existing guidance for the general public, healthcare workers and policy makers.

At the beginning of August, ENN participated in a global webinar to mark World Breastfeeding Week organised by the Global Breastfeeding Collective (GBC), supported by UNICEF. During the webinar, we heard from experts on resources available to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, learned from donors about why we need to invest in the Ten Steps, and were inspired by national and regional leaders’ experiences of applying the Ten Steps in their contexts. The ENN team then introduced the MAMI Care Pathway Package, as a useful resource to support implementation of Step 10 - Coordinate discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care – for small and nutritionally at-risk infants under 6 months and their mothers. We also had the pleasure of launching the Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies 10-year Progress Report, produced by the IFE Core Group. To learn more about these initiatives, check out our recent blog where you can also watch the WBW webinar recordings, read a brief on breastfeeding as a safe, sustainable, climate-friendly resource on RTE Brainstorm and join the MAMI Global Network.

World Breastfeeding Week webinar and Q&A

The above video is the Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific recording, with a case study on Rwanda. 

Reflections on the latest Nutrition Exchange South Asia edition on improving young children’s diets.

Recently I was asked to provide a summary of the two South East Asia Nutrition Exchange Special Editions for the upcoming Field Exchange, which also has a special focus on the region. It provided an opportunity for me to once again dive into the rich content of the editions, particularly the latest publication which focused on young children’s diets and the importance of complementary feeding.  

In this podcast, accompanying the second special issue of Nutrition Exchange South Asia, Dr Charulatha Banerjee talks to Dr Sahib Jan Badar, Programme Coordinator of the Accelerated Action Plan, Department of Health, Government of Sindh province, Pakistan.

They discuss the article Combining WASH and nutrition activities within a multisectoral package to improve young children’s diets and reduce child stunting in Sindh province, Pakistan.

In this podcast, accompanying the second special issue of Nutrition Exchange South Asia, Dr Charulatha Banerjee talks to Dr Mohammadullah Noorzad, Senior Officer for the Community Based Nutrition Programme in the Public Nutrition Directorate, Ministry of Public Health, Afghanistan.

They discuss the article Scaling up a community-based nutrition package in Afghanistan to improve complementary feeding practices in children 6-23 months of age. 

Marie has worked on infant and young child feeding in emergencies since 2001. She coordinates the IFE Core Group, an international interagency collaboration on infant and young child feeding in emergencies.

In the Irish language, there’s a phrase “rírá agus ruaille buaille” (trans: uproar, hubbub, tumult, commotion, ruction, rough & tumble)” which captures the essence of the escapades of the recent World Health Assembly (WHA) around the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Resolution in which ENN has been closely involved. Here’s our version of events.

Read the transcript of this podcast in English

Lire la transcription du podcast en français

Hello, I am Bridget Fenn, ENN’s long standing lead research investigator. I recently I gave a virtual presentation about the REFANI to participants at a research conference in Islamabad organised by Action Against Hunger. Despite the early start (5.30 a.m.), presenting remotely and missing the all-important human interaction afforded by face-to-face meetings, the presentation was very well received and there were plenty of questions and comments from the attendees…more about these below.