Sharjah Takes Major Step Towards Ensuring Baby-friendly Health Facilities

Progressive meeting held with representatives of various health facilities

The “Sharjah: Baby-Friendly Emirate” Campaign made another positive development when a meeting was conducted with several representatives of various health institutions. The meeting was specifically geared towards activating initiatives that will encourage “Baby-Friendly Health Facilities” in the emirate of Sharjah. The campaign has been made possible by the generous moral support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. This movement is spearheaded by Her Highness Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Saeed Ahmed Al Wali, director of Khor Fakkan Hospital and Mr. Obaid Saeed, director of Kalba hospital and Mrs. Fatima Al Maraghi, director of Enjab hospital. Attendees of the meeting dealt with an array of issues such as the accreditation standards that must be adopted by health facilities. The movement aspires to empower all mothers to breastfeed their babies for two years, with the aid of supplementary home-made foods.

The representatives enthusiastically expressed their willingness to collaborate for the betterment of both the child and the mother. This will be achieved by cultivating an environment that is conducive to the well-being of children. As a concrete step towards this goal, guidelines and supporting material like brochures have been provided across Sharjah’s hospitals and health centers to encourage breastfeeding. Another talking point during the discussion dwelled on the benefits of breastfeeding and disadvantages of formula, as well as educating pregnant women about breastfeeding. Additionally, it was collectively agreed that institutions should create an atmosphere that is welcoming to mothers. This will then be followed up by teams of health professionals and assistants from groups that are supportive of breastfeeding, as well as the local community.

Turning their attention to the educational aspect, the attendees reached a consensus that it is crucial to equip instructors with informative booklets that give a simple and easy to understand breakdown of the importance of breastfeeding. This will be complimented by posters in the corridors and public spaces of health amenities.

Dr Hessa Khalfan Al Ghazal, Director of the Executive Committee of the Sharjah Baby-Friendly Emirate Campaign, elaborated on the proceedings: “This has been a resounding show of support by the health facilities, and we greatly appreciate their participation. The enthusiastic turnout is unequivocal proof of the great success of the campaign. We have grown from baby steps to a giant leap forward, and this is courtesy of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has shown an unwavering passion for our children’s well-being. We are also deeply grateful for the generous support from the Ministry of Health.”

Dr Fatima Al Shamsi, Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Sharjah Baby-Friendly Emirate Campaign added, “We applaud the vital role played by the participants in boosting awareness of breastfeeding and fostering an inviting environment for our children. We now hope to apply what we agreed on into practice on the ground. We are optimistic that this will yield results that are in line with the accreditations of the World Health Organization and UNICEF, and accelerate Sharjah’s rise into a baby-friendly city.

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