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• Regional Breastfeeding Code

Dissemination and Advocacy

As part of the breastfeeding advocacy efforts, a

regional forum was organized to disseminate the

Legislative Instrument on promotion and

marketing of breastmilk substitutes in Ghana. The

advocacy forum which was held under the theme

“PROTECTING BREASTFEEDING FOR A

BRIGHTER FUTURE” was attended by staff of

Ghana Health Services from hospitals and district

health directorates, media, traditional leaders,

marketing associations, programme managers of

radio stations, law enforcement agencies and

some lawyers. The Upper East Regional Minister

who was the Guest of Honour committed to

champion breastfeeding promotion efforts in the

region as a “Breastfeeding Champion” along with

the Traditional Leader of Bongo (an MBFHI

district). Various stakeholders present at the event

pledged their support in continuing the advocacy

and sensitization on the benefits of breastfeeding

at the community and workplaces.

• Building capacity to promote

optimal breastfeeding

A total of 400 health staff have been trained and

equipped with knowledge and skills to assist

mothers to appropriately feed their infants,

implement the 10 steps to successful

breastfeeding quality improvement standards and

prepare their facilities for assessment and

designation as mother -baby friendly. Medical

Officers, Midwives, CHOs/CHNs in facilities

conducting deliveries benefitted from the

Lactation Management Trainings. These category

of staff are key in Promoting, protecting and

supporting mothers to breastfeed optimally.

As part of the MBFHI model, the 160 health staff

also benefitted from trainings in Helping Babies

Breathe, Essential Care for Every Baby, Infection

prevention and Control and Basic Emergency

Obstetric Care in addition to a 20hour Lactation

Management training to enable health staff attend

to MNCH and breastfeeding challenges of clients

in the pilot districts. The ten Steps to Successful

Breastfeeding quality improvement standards

have been incorporated into the “Quality

Improvement Guide for health facility” for

ongoing monitoring of breastfeeding standards.

• Best Practices to promote pre-

discharge postnatal counselling

on maternal and child health.

Health Facilities in the Upper East Region agreed

to increase the proportion of women receiving

pre-discharge postnatal counselling on

breastfeeding, family planning, maternal and

newborn danger signs from a baseline of 16% to

80% by January, 2017 and 100% by March, 2017.

This was largely achieved by all the targeted

health facilities.

The facilities developed a client flow chart to

enable them follow a client for 24hours to

determine the best time for Postnatal care

Counselling (PNC). This revealed that the best

time for PNC counselling is when the clients’

relatives are with the client to also listen and

understand the messages so that they can provide

support to the client at home to practice the

recommended behaviours.

Regional Minister and Chiefs Champion breastfeeding promotion. Synopsis 2: Mother and baby friendly health Facility Initiative (MBFHI) -Upper East Region, Ghana. January to March, 2017.

Group counselling at PNC

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Health staff also assist clients to their homes and

take opportunity to know where the clients live for

easy follow-up and also to educate other family

members on maternal and child health care at the

family level.

Pregnant women are given telephone contacts of

midwives at the antenatal care clinic and are

encouraged to call when they are in labour or

observe any danger signs.

• Data Management using the DHIMS 2 e-tracker tool

250 health staff have been trained and equipped

with skills in basic computing, data capture and

enhance quality and reliability of client data using

the e-tracker; a client based individual

management record system for transactional case

based records on MCH services at the community

and facility levels. Participants have been given

usernames and passwords to enable them have

access and use the e-tracker software to register

and enrol clients onto MCH services such as

Antenatal Care, Postnatal Care, delivery, Family

Planning and child welfare and generate reports.

Following the training, a total of 103 HP laptops

and internet modems have been distributed to 103

facilities to enable them enter and generate reports

at the facility level.

Follow-up monitoring visits conducted 2 months

after the training and distribution of laptops,

revealed that, data capture is ongoing. On-the-job

coaching was provided where there were

challenges.

For more information contact: Regional Director of

Health Services, Upper East Region; Dr. Kofi Issah.

Tel: uerrdhs@gmail.com Email: 0242210335

Pictures of Health Staff creating awareness on breastfeeding among

key stakeholders