MCD to launch awareness campaign on breast-feeding

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will launch an awareness campaign to mark the 'World Breast-Feeding Week' from August 1.

MCD Medical Relief and Public Health Committee Chairman V K Monga told reporters that the World Health Organisation (WHO) trained nine master trainers will train doctors and para-medical staff to carry out the campaign.

''The campaign will be launched in various parts of Delhi so as to remove prevailing misconceptions among people regarding breast-feeding,'' he added.

He said the campaign will be specially aimed at pregnant women.

With this aim, the MCD has organised two sensitisation workshops for doctors at Hindu Rao Hospital in which doctors and nurses from the Hospital as well as Maternity and Child Welfare Centres will be trained.

Dr Monga said a very large number of children born in Delhi die within the first year of their birth.

''This not only underlines the agony of their parents but also reflects upon the preparedness of the health sector and the social and community norms pertaining to child health in the community,'' he observed.

''Diarrhoea and attendant malnutrition are the underlying cause of a significant percentage of these deaths. These deaths can be significantly reduced by promoting early initiation of an exclusive breast-feeding,'' he said.

Dr Monga said it has been increasingly recognised that the early initiation of breast-feeding is the most vital step for reducing Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and "Under 5 Mortality" (death of children below five years of age) rate.

''This of course needs to be followed by exclusive breast- feeding for the next six months. If universalised, breast-feeding could reduce under-five deaths by 13 per cent globally and in India nearly 16 per cent.'' UNI NR MS RS2032