The Department of Health in partnership with International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) and other partners will host the 2nd World Breastfeeding Conference.  The goal of the Conference is to bring together like-minded breastfeeding advocates for the attainment of targets set on maternal, infant and young child nutrition

Worldwide, reports indicate, breastfeeding rates are at a comparative low, which increases the risk of other childhood diseases and infant mortality. Furthermore, according to statistics, poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of children’s lives can have irreversible consequences on health while good nutrition through exclusive breastfeeding for six months, significantly improves a child’s chance of survival and long term good health. According to the Lancet Breastfeeding series, breastfeeding reduces the incidences of type 2 diabetes by as much as 35% and the incidence of obesity by 13%.

The following critical issues will be discussed at the conference:

• Critical issues  exercising women’s rights, children’s rights, and the rights to food, nutrition and maternity protection,
• Areas that are fundamental to achieving good nutrition, such as the framework for action on child nutrition, including emerging issues of obesity and HIV/AIDS,
• The need to protect breastfeeding from commercial interests as well as conflicts of interest in policy and programmes.
• The Conference will also provide a comprehensive overview of the collective action, adoption and alignment of regional and country level strategies, focus will also be on a plan towards attainment of targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Theme: "Let’s Invest In Creating An Enabling Environment For Mothers And Babies".

Members of the media are invited as follows:

Where: Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre
When: 11th – 14th December 2016
Who:  South African Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla- Keynote Speaker,

RSVPs: Howard Kgoa on 076 374 0314/ kgoah@health.gov.za
Media Enquiries: Popo Maja on 072 585 3219/ majap@health.gov.za;

For more information on the conference, please visit http://worldbreastfeedingconference.org/agenda.html