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Developing Breastfeeding Volunteers to Increase The Coverage of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Anticipating adverse Effect during COVID-19

14 Dec 2020

Developing Breastfeeding Volunteers to Increase The Coverage of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Anticipating adverse Effect during COVID-19

Project leader: Mrs. Krisdiana Wijayanti

Level of education and university: Master, Australian Catholic University

Collaborating Organisations: Blora Branch Indonesian Midwifery Association

Project Location: Jawa Tengah

Activity Type: Training, workshop or seminar

Sector: Public health, Maternal and child health, Education and training, Communicable disease prevention

Project Rationale:

The low coverage of breastfeeding has become a concern worldwide. UNICEF data shows that Indonesia is included in 80% of countries with a low level of breastfeeding. Approximately 36% of babies received exclusive breastmilk in 0-6 months and only 15.3% babies were breastfed exclusively for 6 months. The presence of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of mothers failing to breastfeed exclusively because of lack of knowledge regarding how to breastfeed in the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, research has found that young mothers (<20 years old), primiparous mothers and working mothers need counselling in breastfeeding practice. Counselling in breastfeeding can be done by breastfeeding counsellors. Recently, Indonesia has had a limited number of breastfeeding counsellors (3.292 distributed in 33 provinces). Lack of support in breastfeeding from counsellors may result in reducing coverage of exclusive breastfeeding. Furthermore, developing trained breastfeeding volunteers is needed in order to help breastfeeding counsellors. Transferring knowledge and skill from the volunteers raises the mother's confidence in breastfeeding. Positive self efficacy in breastfeeding may bring about mothers success in breastfeeding exclusively, and result in the increasing coverage of exclusive breastfeeding.

Project Beneficiaries:

30 mothers

Priority Development Area:

Human development for a productive and healthy society

Link with Australian organisation: -

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