On Wed, 26 Mar 2003 Karleen Gribble wrote:
 ....  Do Aid agencies/defence forces have lactation consultants/experts of any kind that provide information/support on breastfeeding in general and specifically relactation in such situations, does anyone know?
I agree with your opinion of the position paper. It is excellent.

Karleen, I don't think international relief agencies employ IBCLCs (someone else might have the definitive answer on this).  From what I was able to ascertain during the East Timor humanitarian crisis, some of the *better* agencies don't like donations "in kind" (which would include anything from food to pharmaceuticals to artificial baby milk).  Their experience is that donations in kind are often inappropriate for the specific needs, and they prefer cash donations so that they can buy what's really needed.  They try to buy where they will support the local economy - *if* there is the infrastructure.  In the past, agencies have been stuck with large donations of inappropriate artificial baby milks (sent to a breastfeeding culture, directions in the wrong language, etc) and unlabelled or expired pharmaceuticals, neither of which promotes health in cramped living conditions.  This is still possible, especially with less experienced agencies.
    I think is is important that people in breastfeeding-related organisations with any contacts with policy-makers or coordinators in aid organisations let them know about the excellent documents available on infant feeding in emergencies.  Even better, would be to maintain these contacts when there is a lull between major crises, and offer education on breastfeeding to key personnel at policy level and field level.  Probably the best way to do this would be if some sort of funding were available so that training could be offered at no cost.  Such assistance needs to be shown as the win/win situation that it is.
   I think this needs to be an ongoing thing, i.e. maintaining contact with aid agencies.  So often, when the public is emotional about a particular crisis, they are deluged with offers of help and advice, which eveporates afterwards.  The policy documents on emergency feeding are useful at a time of a specific crisis, but what would really help to make these documents more effective would be short course for key personnel in the field, at a time when their time, energy and resources aren't stretched to the limit.
    I hope these ideas are useful.
       Virginia

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