The World Breast Feeding Week, in Brazil, will be celebrated from August
1st to the 7th simultaneously throughout the 27 Brazilian states. As
the Brazilian coordinator for the WABA - World Alliance for Breast
Feeding Action - I am responsible for coordination of the WBW in
Brazil, as well.

The structure created by the national coordinators has made it
possible to decentralize the process of advertising, planning and
holding activities for the WBW, thus reaching amazing results. Last
year, commemorative events were held on behalf of the WBW in
approximately 500 cities throughout the states. We are estimating that
this year there will be about 1000 cities involved in this event!

For this to be possible, we have had to create, since 1994, state
coordinators which would be responsible for the propagation of the WBW
in their respective municipalities. The state health secretaries, in
conjunction with non-governmental organizations, are responsible for
the state coordination and are charged with the task of advertising
the WBW in the municipalities; producing additional material, when
necessary; planning and holding events which promote maternal breast
feeding, always proceeding from the proposed theme of the year;
produce and send a report to the national coordinators including the
events which were promoted in the state, with photographs, newspaper
clipping, etc.

The national coordinator's tasks, in turn, are: Divulge the theme of
the WBW; identify people who are interested in working for the event
throughout the country; acquire resources for the production of
advertising material; support the state coordinators by providing
press releases, forms for  post-evaluation of the WBW. Up to the first
part of October, produce a national report contemplating the events
which were held by all of the Brazilian states.

This year, we are counting with the support of  UNICEF, that financed
the production of a 15 minute home video and the Health Ministry,
responsible for the production of 300.000 posters, pamphlets and
folders. This material was distributed throughout the states, which
they redistributed to their municipalities. The Health Ministry also
produced and will be showing, during the WBW, advertisements on
television and radio, based on the theme: "Breast Feeding: a Community
Responsibility"

Some of the hundreds of events programmed for the WBW throughout the
country are:

- seminaries, congresses, encounters, courses, meetings, discussions
and debates;

- special activities at Children's Hospitals;

- photography, drawing and composition contests for school children
and adolescents;

- photography and poster expositions in malls, subways, train stations
and hospitals;

- distribution of pamphlets and manifestations intended for the entire
country by way of soccer games;

- get-togethers of breast feeding mothers in squares, malls, snack
bars, etc.;

- exhibition of the video produced for the WBW in community halls,
hospitals and maternity wards;

- the reading of texts about breast feeding in religious meetings, of
diverse churches, (especially the Catholic Church) and the realization
of meetings based on breast feeding;

- surprise visits to hospitals and supermarkets in order to monitor
their adherence to the "International Code for the Commercialization
of Food Products for Nursing Infants";

- meetings with groups of grandparents, parents and other family
members;

- discussions at companies and businesses about working women's rights
during gestation, childbirth and breast feeding.

These are but a few of the events which are being programmed and
should provide you with a small glimpse of the creativity and
disposition of the Brazilian people when dealing with the mobilization
of all our society on behalf of breast feeding.

During the WBW, hundreds of materials are published in newspapers
throughout the country, special radio broadcasts, about this theme,
interviews and special programs on TV.

One peculiarity is that, in all of the commemorative events, we can
observe mothers breast feeding their children. This is a common
practice in Brazil and there are no restrictions. Mothers regularly
breast feed at the beach, in malls, public buildings, restaurants or
anywhere they please.
Denise Arcoverde
Grupo Origem
WABA Brasil
Rede IBFAN
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