The Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester, Jamaica, has internationally been certified as a ‘baby-friendly hospital’ (BFH).

To be baby-friendly means giving every baby the best start in life by creating a healthcare environment that supports breastfeeding. As such, children born or cared for at the hospital are in for the best developmental support.

The BFH certification is in keeping with the global campaign established to prepare health systems and mobilise healthcare workers to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

The initiative is also part of the Government’s thrust to provide a framework that enables mothers to acquire the skills they need to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months (180 completed days), followed by complementary foods and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond.

A baby-friendly healthcare facility also assists mothers who are not breastfeeding to make informed decisions and care for their babies in the best possible way.

Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), indicated that the hospital’s milestone is not easy to attain.

She emphasised that the team approach used during the preparatory stage must be part of the daily service delivery so that the institution can remain certified. According to her, “I hope that this team approach also materialises in the rest of the work that you have to do.”

Addressing a recent ceremony at the institution to celebrate its BFH certification, Etienne lauded the Government of Jamaica for continued investments in the health sector, pointing out that some countries have made budgetary cutbacks in this area but not Jamaica.