The World Vision Global Health, Nutrition and HIV Community of Practice hosted a best practices discussion on the importance of Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E).
What is IYCF-E?
- IYCF-E concerns the protection and support of safe and appropriate (optimal) feeding for infants and young children in all types of emergencies, wherever they happen in the world
- Promotion and protection of breastfeeding
- Protection of non-breastfed infants by minimising the risks of artificial feeding
- The well-being of mothers (nutritional, mental, and physical health) is critical to the well-being of their children.
Emergencies can happen anywhere at anytime and child mortality can soar 2-70 times higher - even in healthy populations. This recording is a virtual training to promote, protect and support optimal IYCF practices - understanding evidence around negative impact (that is, much higher risk of death) of using infant formula when conditions are not met to safely formula feed, even when mothers are HIV +. For those currently working in Emergency Contexts, you will come away with specific interventions that can be incorporated into response plans so that IYCF is included.
MORE INFORMATION ON WV’S WORK IN EMERGENCIES:
- WV Breastfeeding in Emergency Guidance
- WV Women, Adolescent and Young Child Spaces in Emergencies Guidance
- WVMilk policy
- IFE Operational Guidance
- UNHCR policy on Use of Milk
- UNICEF online IFE training
- WHO Relactation Guidance
- WHO SOP on Donations, Distribution and Procurement of Infant Formula and Infant Feeding Equipment, 2012 Jordan Emergency
- Save The Children IYCF Toolkit
Colleen Emary, MSc - World Vision Emergency Nutrition and CMAM Technical Advisor.
Colleen has worked in the international nutrition field for over 10 years. She has provided technical and management support to nutrition programming in both the development and emergency context in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Her areas of interest include infant and young-child feeding in emergencies and the management of acute malnutrition. Colleen holds a BSc degree in nutritional science from the University of Guelph and an MSc degree in public health nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK.
Simon Karanja, World Vision International Nutrition Information Management Officer & UNICEF GNC Rapid Response Team.
A member of World Vision's Nutrition Centre of Expertise, Simon is seconded on a 75% basis to UNICEF as part of the GNC Rapid Response Team (RRT). Simon has 10 years experience as an Emergency Nutrition Specialist with various NGOs in Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and DRC, working mainly with refugees, and in conflict and drought contexts. He previously worked for UNICEF in Somalia and Uganda as a Nutrition Specialist, specializing in nutrition in emergencies.
Sura Alsamman, Health & Nutrition Manager at Save the Children Jordan, responsible for the overall coordination of the IYCF technical functions and activities in camps and south of Jordan including components such as Supplementary Feeding Programmes and anemia.