Sravani Sarkar
NewsBits.in
Bhopal: In a surprising happening, representatives of women and child development department remained totally missing from the launch ceremony of MAA (Mother’s Absolute Affection) - a breastfeeding promotion programme spearheaded by state health department.
Women and child development (WCD) department, by its very name, is responsible for wellbeing of mother and children and according to experts no programme for mother and child health and nutrition could be successful without involvement of the WCD.
Yet, apart from brief appearance of a deputy director level officer, no senior WCD officer was to be seen at the launch programme of MAA – a national level programme.
Health minister Rustam Singh launched the one-year-long promotional programme in presence of principal secretary of health Gauri Singh, commissioner health Pallavi Jain Govil and director health BN Chauhan.
Though officially at national level too, the programme is under aegis of health department, union secretary of WCD was present at the national level launch programme earlier this month. Also, the operational guidelines of the programme talk of inter-sectoral coordination with WCD for implementation.
“This is clearly an ego issue between the two departments that we have been long speaking of. There is simply no coordination between health and WCD departments as far as health and nutrition issues of mothers and children go,” eminent food and nutrition rights expert Sachin Jain said.
He added “pregnant women are first registered at anganwadis (WCD) and the pre-natal care is ensured through the anganwadi network. Similarly all infants are registered at anganwadis and their growth is monitored there. How is any programme on breastfeeding possible without WCD,” Jain asked.
When media persons asked the health minister Rustam Singh about coordination with WCD, he said that the matter would be taken up at a meeting scheduled with WCD minister two days later.
Mothers, infants kept waiting
Mothers with infants were kept waiting for over two hours for the MAA launch programme as the health minister Rustam Singh arrived at the programme two hours late. The mothers and infants were visibly discomforted at having to wait for such long time in a closed hall.
About MAA
- “MAA-Mother’s Absolute Affection'’ is a nationwide programme launched in an attempt to bring undiluted focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision of counselling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems
- Programme has been named ‘MAA’ to signify the support a lactating mother requires from family members and at health facilities to breastfeed successfully
- The chief components of the MAA Programme are community awareness generation, Strengthening inter personal communication through ASHA, Skilled support for breastfeeding at Delivery points in Public health facilities, and Monitoring and Award/recognition
- According to expert around 20% newborn deaths and 13% under-five deaths can be prevented by early initiation of breastfeeding. Besides it can also prevent child deaths associated with diarrhoea and pneumonia
- The goal of the Programme is to enhance optimal breastfeeding practices, which includes initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding for at least two years
- The government will train nurses in government hospitals, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), Auxiliary Nurse Mid-wives (ANM) to provide relevant inform.ation and counselling support to mothers for breastfeeding
- In MP, the programme targets 21 lakh pregnant and 20 lakh lactating mothers. About 59,000 rural, 4000 ASHAs and 2900 ASHA assistants would be oriented to infant and child food habits
- MP has dismal statistics on breastfeeding. Only 34.5% breastfeeding within one hour of birth, only 58.2% exclusive breastfeeding and only 38.1% complementary feeding practice
