The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI)/International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) South Asia and the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) Global Secretariat launched the innovative tool in 2004 at a South Asia Partners Forum.

The WBTi assists countries to assess the status and benchmark the progress in implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding in a standard way. It is based on the WHO’s “Infant and Young Child Feeding: A tool for assessing national practices, policies and programmes”. The WBTi programme calls on countries to conduct their assessment to measure strengths and weaknesses on the ten parameters of policy and programmes that protect, promote and support optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. It maintains a Global Data Repository of these policies and programmes in the form of scores, color codes, report and report card for each country The WBTi assessment process brings people together and encourages collaboration, networking and local action. Organizations such as government departments, UN, health professionals, academics and other civil society partners (without Conflicts of Interest) participate in the assessment process by forming a core group with an objective to build consensus. With every assessment countries identify gaps and provide recommendations to their policy makers for affirmative action and change. The WBTi Global Secretariat encourages countries to conduct a re- assessment every 3-5 years for tracking trends in IYCF policies and programme.

Assessment process followed by the country

To conduct the World Breastfeeding Trend Initiative (WBTi) assessment in Bangladesh, one representative from Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation received three days of training on WBTi-IYCF assessment from IBFAN Asia in Delhi in the year 2008. After the training, a meeting conducted in Dhaka discussed these issues with key stakeholders, and further action resulted in preparing a report in 2008. And completed a repeat assessment was completed in 2012 and 2015. After 2015, other South Asia Countries have already completed their Assessment, and Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation received a request from IBFAN Asia to carry out this work for Bangladesh.

To uphold the Assessment in Bangladesh a National Consultative meeting and three Expert Committee meeting has been conducted through Zoom. The National Nutrition Services and Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation jointly completed the Assessment process.

Country Ranking

https://www.worldbreastfeedingtrends.org/wbti-country-ranking.php

https://www.worldbreastfeedingtrends.org/wbti-country-ranking.php