For over 10 years, the Chars Livelihood Programme has been promoting the importance of breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) meaning babies receive only breast milk for the first six months, among the impoverished women who live on the volatile river islands, known as chars, of north-west Bangladesh.

According to the most recent Government of Bangladesh’s statistics and UNICEF 64.1% of children under six months nationwide were exclusively breastfed in 2011. This is a significant increase from 2007 when statistics showed that a mere 43% of babies were being exclusively breastfed. Although Bangladesh as a whole ranks relatively high in South Asia in terms of percentage of mothers who exclusively breastfeed, there is still significant room for progress particularly in the chars of north-west Bangladesh where health services are sparse and it is likely that a lack of understanding the benefits of breastfeeding is higher because of their geographical and societal remoteness.

This is where our Char Nutrition Workers (or Char Pushti Karmis [CPK]) can have an important role in promoting breastfeeding practices. In addition to providing Iron and Folic Acid to pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and micronutrients to children, our CPKs provide one-on-one counselling on important nutrition issues such as breastfeeding. Through these activities CLP has been working hard to encourage women in the chars like Monira Khatun to breastfeed their babies.

Monira is a CLP participant from Musolli Para in Kurigram who, thanks to the support provided by CLP, was able to make an informed decision regarding EBF. Monira explained, “I’ve learnt the importance the importance of breastfeeding my child from regular household visits of the [Char Nutrition Worker]. She’s encouraged me to breastfeed my child from the very first hours of his birth and I’ve been following this advice. I won’t give any supplementary food to my son before he turns six months because I know breastfeeding is the best for him up until then.”

Breastfeeding is free and it provides huge health benefits for both mothers and babies. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory conditions such as asthma. If they are exclusively breastfed, the benefits are even greater.  EBF potentially reduces death among children less than five years by about 20% in part due to the antibodies that breast milk contains which help fight off viruses and bacteria.

There are also important benefits to mothers who breastfeed. For example, according to UNICEF, the longer they breastfeed, the greater their protection against breast and ovarian cancer.

The first week of August celebrates World Breastfeeding Week which is organised and coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action(WABA).  CLP has endeavoured to support World Breastfeeding Week this year through our Human Development Unit, which has actively supported and helped organize local government rallies at the District and Upazila level and open discussions at the village (char) level about the importance and the benefits of breastfeeding and EBF for the child and the mother. CLP will continue the promotion of breastfeeding, especially EBF, in its programme areas through its initiatives beyond World Breastfeeding Week.