20 November 2013, Mandaluyong City – The National Nutrition Council-NCR convened around 60 nutritionists, barangay nutrition scholars and breastfeeding support group (BFSG) members from the different cities and municipality of Metro Manila for a mobilization and orientation meeting of volunteers who will help promote, support and protect breastfeeding in the mother and baby friendly space in Villamor Air Base (VAB). This is in response to the call for volunteers trained in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) who can render volunteer services round-the-clock at the “Nanay Bayanihan (NB)” Tent, a mother and baby friendly space in VAB put up by a group of volunteer medical doctors, breastfeeding advocates and volunteer mothers.
Mothers and their young children 0-2 years old from Typhoon Yolanda affected areas who arrive in VAB via C130 are sent to the NB tent where they can rest and be comfortable. Babies are cleaned and diapers are changed and if in need of medical attention, there are volunteer doctors who attend to them. The IYCF volunteers will assist the NB team by counseling mothers on breastfeeding and proper complementary feeding and give lactation massage, if needed and also provide vitamin A capsule to lactating mothers and children 0-59 months old. This is to ensure that mothers breastfeed their babies since breastfeeding is even more important in emergency situations where it may be the only way for the infants and young children to be food secure.
The IYCF volunteers from Metro Manila may also be deployed in mother and baby friendly spaces in the Tent City in Villamor Air Base Elementary School (VABES) and in Jose Fabella Center in Mandaluyong City where evacuees waiting for their relatives to fetch them are temporarily staying.The IYCF volunteers were also requested to be vigilant and be on the lookout for any violations in the Milk Code (EO 51) at the mother and baby friendly spaces and transition staging areas. There should be no general distribution of breastmilk substitute (BMS) and/or powdered milk. Should donation of milk products exist, this should be coursed through the nearest office of the Department of Health or local health office.
