From: DOH WebPage
2 October 2009
Typhoon Ondoy has left a path of destruction and misery in the country after causing massive flooding in many parts of Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the CALABARZON regions.
Hundreds of thousands of families were affected and many Filipino infants and children have become vulnerable to diseases, premature deaths and malnutrition now that their families are homeless and their parents and caregivers are struggling to cope with this unfortunate crisis.
“Breastfeeding is the perfect shield that will protect our infants from deadly diseases in this time of calamity,” says Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III. “During emergency situations, this is the lifeline for our infants as breast milk provides them the safest and the most complete nutrition and an invaluable source of protection against many infections,“ he added.
Thus, with the threat faced by thousands of infants and young children who now stay with their families in evacuation centers, the Department of Health reiterated its policy to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, to breastfeed exclusively the infant 0-6 months old and to be initiated on safe adequate and appropriate complementary foods at 6 months of age while breastfeeding up to two years and beyond.
Because of the lack of adequate safe water and sanitation facilities in destroyed communities and in evacuation centers, the DOH advised all mothers that it is all the more crucial for them to breastfeed and for government, health professionals, communities and breastfeeding advocates to ensure that there is a supportive, healthy and conducive environment fit for mothers and infants.
“The use of prepared powdered formulas in a situation where there is a lack of safe water & sanitation will only increase the vulnerability of infants to acquire infections,” warned Secretary Duque.
Aside from this, Duque added that only breast milk contains immunological factors and probiotics that protect against diarrheas and pneumonias – the most common causes of deaths in young children. These protective factors are not present in infant milk formula.
Duque shared on-the-ground efforts in the Philippines which provide evidence that breastfeeding can be done during emergencies to counter misconceptions that mothers are unable to breastfeed, produce enough milk or restart breastfeeding because of the stressful situation during crises among other factors.
Health officials of the DOH have been going around evacuation centers since the tragedy struck to monitor the health of the typhoon victims especially that of mothers, young children and vulnerable infants.
In the evacuation center of Barangay Panghulo in Malabon City, babies are being breastfed by their mothers and have remained safe and free from illnesses.
“This is an excellent model that we want all mothers to practice in all our evacuation centers so that we reduce the risk of diseases and deaths among very young children (0-3 years), “ Duque said.
The DOH together with the affected local government units in Metro Manila is now mobilizing Breastfeeding Support Groups or Peer Counselors to counsel and provide the necessary care to pregnant women and mothers that will encourage and coach them to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. Other affected regions in the country where there are also evacuation centers are urged to do the same.
The breastfeeding support groups will correct misconceptions, provide coaching and counseling to mothers as well as respond to their health and nutritional needs
In the Philippine General Hospital, the premiere national university hospital of the Philippines, the Newborn Medicine Lactation Unit and Human Milk Bank already launched a breastfeeding mission to collect as many volumes of donated breast milk from volunteer moms which will be delivered and cup-fed to babies staying at the different evacuation centers.
The Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, the country’s national center for maternal and newborn health, has also intensified its collection of human milk to benefit the babies who were victims of the recent typhoon and flooding.
“First, we should make it clear that all women, even those who are malnourished, can breastfeed. We should put all efforts to keep infants and young children with their mothers and support mothers to breastfeed,” Secretary Duque said. “In rare circumstances where breastfeeding cannot be implemented, there are other options such as wet nursing, accessing the milk bank and doing cup feeding,” added Duque.
The DOH is encouraging all partner government and non-government agencies, local government units, private organizations and health professional societies to help promote, protect and support breastfeeding especially during emergency situations.
The DOH through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reiterated its policy not to allow donations of breast milk substitutes such as infant formula or other such products covered by the National Milk Code.
“In these challenging times, we must act to save and protect our babies and children and the most excellent way to do it is through breastfeeding,” Duque concluded.
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