The Baby Friendly initiative (BFI) is an international ten step program established in 1992 by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to promote, support and protect breastfeeding worldwide in hospitals and in the community.  Although there are over 14,000 designated Baby Friendly Hospitals worldwide, there are only three that have been designated recently in Canada.  As the National authority for the WHO / UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative in Canada, the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada (BCC) has the goal of implementation of the BFI across the country over the next three years.

Designation as Baby Friendly is a formal recognition by UNICEF, WHO and BCC that a hospital in Canada has fully conformed to the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.

Mandate

The mandate of the Baby Friendly Manitoba Committee is to support and facilitate the implementation of the Baby Friendly Initiative within Regional Health Authorities in order to promote, protect and support breastfeeding as the optimum for infant nutrition in Manitoba.

Responsibilities of the Provincial Committee

• Work in partnership with the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada (BCC)  and other stakeholders in the Baby Friendly Initiative;

• Support the RHA’s in the implementation of BFHI / BFI within Manitoba, inclusive of hospital and community sectors;

• Act as the contact between the BCC and the RHA’s and their hospitals that are pursuing the Baby Friendly Initiative hospital designation process. (refer to the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada website for information on BFI hospital and community health services assessment at http://www.breastfeedingcanada.ca/html/bfi.html).

Activities

• Developing and sharing information and strategies to promote the Baby Friendly Initiative in communities, community programs and health facilities in Manitoba;

• Identifying and resolving barriers to the implementation of BFI in the communities, community programs and health facilities in Manitoba;

• Acting as a catalyst and information resource for the Baby Friendly Initiative;

• Networking with hospitals intending to become Baby Friendly;

• Linking with the Breastfeeding Committee of Canada which is the National Authority for the Baby Friendly Initiative in Canada;

• Increasing community awareness of the importance of breastfeeding to the individual and society;

• Delineating educational needs and encouraging breastfeeding research.

Contacts

For more information about the Baby Friendly Manitoba Inititiative please contact the Co-ordinator at Manitoba Healthy Living.