Division Dhaka - Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation

DHAKA DIVISION

BBF carries out divisional activities across Bangladesh to promote breastfeeding, maternal nutrition, and child health. These efforts include training and capacity-building programs on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), and complementary feeding for healthcare providers and community workers. BBF also organizes awareness campaigns, workshops, and seminars, particularly during World Breastfeeding Week, to engage local communities and stakeholders. In addition, BBF facilitates policy dialogues at the divisional level to strengthen the implementation of breastfeeding policies and nutrition programs. Recognizing the impact of climate change and environmental factors on maternal and child health, BBF integrates climate resilience and sustainable practices into its community outreach and training programs. Through collaboration with government health services and NGOs, BBF ensures the effective delivery of its initiatives across all divisions, contributing to improved maternal and child health and promoting environmental sustainability.

Served Breastfeeding

BFHI

Heath Facilities

MSG

Community

Breastfeeding Corner

Institution

Day Care Center

Institution

Complementory Food

Children 5-9 year

Adolescents Health

Policy Advocacy

The dialogue may highlight the need for stronger govt. policies to support breastfeeding, including maternity leave policies, workplace accommodations for breastfeeding mothers, and public health initiatives to educate and encourage breastfeeding.

Advocacy on breastfeeding

BBF actively advocates for improved breastfeeding, Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), and complementary feeding practices, focusing on slums and hard-to-reach areas where malnutrition and poor health outcomes are prevalent.

Maternity Protection

BBF has been a leading advocate for strengthening maternity protection policies to support breastfeeding and maternal health in the workplace. BBF’s efforts focus on ensuring that working mothers receive adequate leave, job security.

Breastfeeding Corner

BBF actively advocates for the establishment of daycare centers to facilitate breastfeeding for working mothers. we provide technical support and contributed to setting up daycare centers in various locations to ensure mothers can breastfeed their children conveniently.

Provide Training

(BBF) provides comprehensive training to mothers on proper breastfeeding techniques, infant nutrition, and the health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. These training sessions aim to empower mothers with knowledge and skills to ensure optimal infant growth and development, promoting better maternal and child health outcomes across Bangladesh.

Services

-Lactation Management Support:
-Physical (Counseling, Oketani, technic of attachment & position, milk expression, re-lactation, body massage for special child,
depression relief massage-pregnancy, lactation period, adolescent)
-Nutrition Services
-Nutritional assessment for pregnant women, lactating mother, adolescent & geriatric
– Diet chart

BBF's Role in Policy Dialogue:

Advocacy for Policy Reform:
1. Advocated for and supported the introduction of six months of paid maternity leave in Bangladesh.

Advocated for and supported for creation of nutritionist posts in every district to enhance community-based nutrition services and combat malnutrition.

Policy Leadership and Development: BBF has played a direct and pivotal role in the formulation and revision of key national policies and guidelines, including:
1. National Nutrition Policy – Advocating for comprehensive maternal and child nutrition interventions.
2. Health Policy – Integrating nutrition services into broader health strategies across all life stages.
3. National Dietary Guidelines – Ensuring evidence-based dietary recommendations for all population groups.
4. National Complementary Feeding Guideline (6-36 months) – Developing and promoting appropriate complementary feeding practices to reduce malnutrition and stunting.

Legislative Contributions: BBF was instrumental in developing and enforcing the Breastmilk Substitute (BMS) Act 2013, and Its rules 2017 and BMS Ordinance 1984 for protecting breastfeeding against unethical commercial marketing.

National Strategy Development: BBF contributed to updating the National IYCF Strategy and expanding the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), creating environments that support breastfeeding.

Community Engagement: BBF ensures policy implementation at the grassroots level through Mother Support Groups (MSGs), aligning national frameworks with local needs and promoting sustainable health practices.

Key Policy Dialogue Areas:

BMS Act 2013 and Its rules 2017
Paid Maternity Leave (6 months)
Nutritionist Posts in Every District
National Nutrition Policy
Health Policy
National Dietary Guidelines
Complementary Feeding Guideline (6-36 months)
Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection
Food Security and Safety
Immunization and Child Health
Workplace Support for Breastfeeding

BBF’s policy dialogue bridges national priorities with global commitments, ensuring a comprehensive and sustainable approach to improving health and nutrition for all generations.

BBF's Role in Policy Dialogue:

Key Advocacy Initiatives:

1. Community-Based Mother Support Groups (MSGs):

BBF establishes Mother Support Groups in slum areas and remote villages to provide counseling on breastfeeding and IYCF practices.
MSGs serve as platforms for peer-to-peer learning, empowering mothers with the skills and knowledge needed for optimal child feeding.

2. Breastfeeding Promotion and Awareness Campaigns:

BBF conducts door-to-door awareness drives in slums and rural areas, educating families on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years.
BBF collaborates with community leaders, NGOs, and religious institutions to foster local ownership of breastfeeding initiatives.

3. Complementary Feeding Education (6-36 months):

BBF promotes safe, nutritious, and affordable complementary feeding practices using locally available foods.
Training sessions for mothers and caregivers focus on preparing homemade complementary foods and ensuring food safety during preparation and storage.

4. Mobile Counseling and Outreach Clinics:

In hard-to-reach areas, BBF deploys mobile counseling teams to provide nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and complementary feeding demonstrations.
These clinics ensure that even the most marginalized communities receive essential guidance and health services.

5. Advocacy with Local Governments and Stakeholders:

BBF advocates for integration of IYCF and breastfeeding counseling into community health services, ensuring that local governments prioritize nutrition interventions in vulnerable areas.
Collaboration with urban health clinics, CHWs (Community Health Workers), and NGOs strengthens outreach efforts and scales up nutrition services.

Outcomes and Impact:

Help to Increase exclusive breastfeeding rates in urban slums and remote communities.
Help to Improve complementary feeding practices, contributing to reduced stunting and wasting.
Greater community engagement in maternal and child nutrition initiatives.

BBF’s advocacy ensures that breastfeeding and complementary feeding are prioritized in Bangladesh’s most vulnerable areas, bridging gaps in nutrition equity and enhancing child health outcomes.

Advocacy for maternity protection in the workplace

Key Areas of BBF’s Advocacy:

1. Extension of Paid Maternity Leave (6 Months):

BBF successfully advocated for the extension of paid maternity leave from 4 to 6 months for government employees, enabling mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months.
BBF continues to push for this policy to be extended across the private sector and informal workforce.

2. Workplace Breastfeeding-Friendly Policies:

BBF collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Ministry of Labour, and private sectors to promote the establishment of:

Lactation rooms in workplaces.
Flexible work hours and on-site childcare facilities to facilitate breastfeeding.
Paid breastfeeding breaks during working hours.

3. Paternity Leave Advocacy:

- BBF advocates for the introduction of paternity leave to enable fathers to support mothers during the early postpartum period, fostering shared responsibility in infant care.

4. Protection Against Workplace Discrimination:

- BBF works to ensure that maternity protection policies include job security and protection against discrimination for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- BBF raises awareness about the Breastmilk Substitute (BMS) Act 2013, reinforcing the importance of safeguarding breastfeeding from workplace pressures and commercial influences.

5. Engagement with Employers and Trade Unions:

- BBF engages with employers, trade unions, and industry leaders to promote maternity protection as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative.
- Training sessions and workshops are conducted to sensitize HR professionals and employers about the benefits of supporting breastfeeding mothers.

6. Community-Level Maternity Protection (Informal Sector):

- BBF extends its advocacy to the informal workforce in slums and rural areas, calling for maternity benefits for domestic workers, garment workers, and day laborers.
- BBF collaborates with local NGOs to advocate for community-based childcare and breastfeeding spaces near informal work settings.

Achievements and Impact:

BBF’s advocacy contributed to the official gazette of six months of paid maternity leave in 2011 for government workers.
Increasing breastfeeding rates and maternal retention in the workforce by fostering supportive work environments.
Expanded dialogue with the private sector to implement breastfeeding-friendly policies, benefiting thousands of working mothers
Seminars and Orientations Completed:
- Government and Non-Government Sectors: Seminars held in banks, schools, and all district levels.
- Community Engagement: Orientations conducted at Upazila/Community Clinics, ward levels, and with Union Parishad (UP) Chairmen and members.
- Media Awareness: Orientations for media personnel completed across all districts to highlight the importance of maternity protection.

Policy Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement:

- High-Level Meetings: Discussion meetings conducted at the Ministry of Health with BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association) and FBCCI (Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to promote maternity protection policies in their organizations.
Strategic Collaboration:
- BBF has actively contributed to IYCF strategies across all city corporations, ensuring the integration of maternity protection within infant and young child feeding frameworks.
Technical Support:

BBF provides ongoing technical support to organizations across sectors to enhance maternity protection and support systems in the workplace and community