Joint Press Release: World Breastfeeding Week Activities and Launching Nabd AL-Haya “Beats of Life” Application 2022.

Under the patronage of her excellency, Dr. Mai Salem Al Kaila, Palestinian Minister of Health, in partnership with World Vision under the health Program “Go Baby Go”, would like to announce the annual celebration of World Breastfeeding Week and the launching of Nabd Al-Haya “Beats of Life” application in Palestine, under the theme “Step up for Breastfeeding-Educate and Support”. Which is celebrated in more than 170 countries around the world and aims to highlight the huge benefits that breastfeeding can bring to both the health and welfare of babies, as well as a wider push for maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security.

World Vision works with Community Health Workers in 111 villages throughout West Bank, targeting the most vulnerable children and their mothers to improve their well-being. According to our data around 80% of registered mothers in GBG are practicing exclusive breastfeeding, and according to their observation in the field, more than 80% of targeted mothers who are breastfeeding their babies reflect a high level of satisfaction linked to the health, growth and development of their children, and show clear signs of emotional stability and happiness.

In addition, in this day, World Vision in partnership with Ministry of Health, and Arab American University of Palestine launched the Nabd Al-Haya application, which is considered to be the first Palestinian application that contain health information for pregnant mothers and their children during the first year of the child’s life, but it was also designed in a way to increase the scope of messages to 3 years or more, as needed.

Mothers who register receive timely messages and reminders tailored to their specific moment in their pregnancy journey and the critical first year of their baby’s life. It is reliable and trusted source of information derived from Ministry of Health and WHO health protocols.

It is an application the MoH will lead out to ensure its sustainability and World Vision will continue to promote its usage throughout GBG project model, which we implement throughout the West Bank.

Last year, during Breastfeeding week, World Vision launched the initiative called “The Child friendly Clinic Initiative (CFCI). The MoH adopted the Child Friendly Hospital and Clinic Initiative at the policy level, now this service is available in number of hospitals and extending the initiative to clinics, which is built on the healthcare provision in accordance with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The aim of this initiative is to integrate the rights of children with respect to health and health care into a practical framework that drives cultural change and improves all services which contribute to health and well-being of children. Therefore, World Vision will continue to support establishing child friendly corners and breastfeeding spaces in MoH clinics thorough World Vision evidence based project model, GBG managed to establish child friendly spaces in 74 clinics out of the targeted 102 clinics.