9.3 Young Child Feeding
The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2002. The aim of this strategy is to improve, through optimal feeding, the nutritional status, growth and development, health, and thus the survival of infants and young children.
"Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for 60% of the 10.9 million deaths, which are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices, occurring during the first year of life.....malnourished children who survive are more frequently sick and suffer the life-long consequences of impaired development."1,2
The strategy's specific objectives are:
- to raise awareness of the main problems affecting infant and young child feeding, identify approaches to their solution, and provide a framework of essential interventions;
- to increase the commitment of governments, international organisations and other concerned parties for optimal feeding practices for infants and young children;
- to create an environment that will enable mothers, families and other caregivers in all circumstances to make, and implement, informed choices about optimal feeding practices for infants and young children.
- Inappropriate feeding practices and their consequences are major obstacles to sustainable socioeconomic development and poverty reduction.
- Mothers and babies form an inseparable biological and social unit; the health and nutrition of one group cannot be divorced from the health and nutrition of the other.
- Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months to achieve optimal growth, development and health.
- Infants are vulnerable during the transition period when complementary feeding begins. Nutritional status needs to be maintained by complementary foods which are timely, safe, adequate and properly-fed.
- Infants and children are among the most vulnerable victims in natural and human-induced emergencies. Interrupted breastfeeding and inappropriate complementary feeding heighten the risk of malnutrition.
Source: Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, WHO 2003

Workbook Activity 9.5

Does your Unit have a copy of this document?
If your Unit does not have a copy of this document it can be obtained, for a small cost, from the World Health Organisation website. Click on the icon to be taken to the order form. While at the website order Implementing the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding at the same time - it is a free publication.
Alternatively, you could download the Strategy for no cost from the World Health Organisation website.

Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
What should I remember?

- To ensure my workplace has a copy of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young child feeding.
- The aim of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
- The 3 specific objectives outlined that will achieve the aim
- Consider your role in the implementation of this strategy in your place of work