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Speaker: Christine Borg, Co-ordinator, ABC

Date: Monday 10^th  October

Venue: 21, Dar Ta Kana, The Mall, Floriana

Introduction

I would like to thank you all for coming today. Your presence implies a genuine effort on your part to do what you can for the breastfeeding cause. We the members of the ABC are honoured for showing us enough respect and trust to grace us with your presence and interest - this encourages us to continue working towards our goals. I especially thank Ms. Camilleri who I know shall do what is in her power to intervene so that we can see an improvement in the rates of breastfeeding for infants from birth up to about two years.

Purpose

The purpose of this Centre is so that a location is identified as a non-medicalised institution for Breastfeeding – a landmark for

·        mothers and their families  make contact with Breastfeeding Counsellors for their counseling needs on the management of Breastfeeding

·        students and policy makers as researchers to obtain reliable and up-to-date research based information

·        other entities together with the ABC to find common ground, own this initiative and work in synergy on programmes and projects for the benefit of the individuals and the common good

What has led us here

Society has evolved to think of infant feeding in terms of formula feeding or breastmilk feeding - both done through a bottle – not many look forward to Breastfeeding. Most of us here know that Breastfeeding – that is putting the baby to the breast - is by far the standard that both these two cannot reach. Although breastmilk feeding is a much better solution to formula feeding there is still risk of contamination, loss of precious micronutrients, extra work for the mother, cost in buying feeding related equipment, diminished mother-baby contact, the female treated as a reproductive vessel and an overall lack of equality with males because we women do not use our body’s functional ability to its optimum.  

To date several entities have worked directly to improve breastfeeding rates in Malta, yet as statistics show we still hover around the 50 percentile, a situation that has not changed for many years notwithstanding the launch of the Breastfeeding Policy in 2000.

Although there have been attempts to work collaboratively we are still working as separate entities each with our own agenda. Launching this Centre today could be a catalyst for change. 

The ABC therefore looks forward to working with all of you present today, whether you work directly with mothers and their babies or indirectly by influencing policies and relative structuration,  and we implore you to work in congruence with us in your area for the sake of mothers and their children as well as the common good.

Challenges

We are at a critical stage where crucial structures are struggling to keep working and are striving hard to take off and work effectively to reach the target set by Malta’s Breastfeeding Policy.

To reach that target we need a culture change. It is opportune for the stakeholders to design a model where we can reach everybody to educate and dispel the myths of lay and professional people alike.  We need to be available in mothers’ time of need. We need to have our engines on full speed ahead, for a while at least, until we overcome this critical stage and move into more secure waters - hopefully waters similar to those in the Scandinavian countries where society’s mentality is that there is no option except to breastfeed and any other method is a last resort. Will we get there?

The ABC has looked inside itself and we have worked as much as we possibly could on improving our organisation. Our efforts have included increasing the number of our Counsellors as you have seen today and opening our Headquarters.

Yet to continue to address the deficiencies that we have we need financial support. And we expect it, at least in part, from Public Funds.  Breastfeeding mothers do a service to the nation for no charge. They should be at least provided with the supporting structures that enable them to mother well. We can offer a good service if we ourselves are not excluded.

Plea for support

To work for breastfeeding is incredibly hard work. I invite any of you to come and shadow us on a usual day’s work to see the work involved. When we are confronted with a crying mother who had decided to breastfeed, did what she thought were the conventional preparations but stopped breastfeeding because of inconsistent advice, misconceptions derived through misleading information and the effects of an aggressive industry trading in infant feeding products - we know that that mother has been cheated. We are determined to see the change towards improved services for a culture change.  The problems are too overwhelming to belittle the situation to thinking of breastfeeding mothers as needing only a friendly smile and a pat on the back. It is not only she who must play her part but the Nation too.

The ABC is not a profit seeking organisation but its members are workers and deserve to be compensated for the work they do. Should we ask mothers to provide this compensation for us by paying for our services? Mothers already provide the nation with an unbeatable, irreplaceable and priceless service – should we also ask them to pay for the services they need? Should we provide a service only to those who can afford to pay? Should we provide a service to all irrespective of their social, cultural, education and financial background?

The ABC strives to serve all mothers equally. But we are not infallible and are vulnerable to the realities of life just as you are. Should we be expected to contribute so much of our time freely and at times pay for expenses out of our families’ pocket? To ensure commitment, consistency and continuation - three important factors for effective service - we need your help! both in tangible terms like financial support as well as in co-operation.

Today we open our Headquarters so that the ABC can be more effective in its organisation. We also launch the Malta Breastfeeding Centre so that the entities that work directly for breastfeeding or indirectly influence policies affecting it can find common turf if we could all think of ourselves not only as parts but as a whole. Together I believe we can achieve.

For the ABC the challenge is going to be to keep the distinction between the functions of the ABC HQ and those of the Malta Breastfeeding Centre. We have one tiny office to do this work. We therefore implore the authorities to support this initiative by welcoming our approach to their office and creatively finding the means with which to help us.

The Breastfeeding Counsellors

The Breastfeeding Counsellors here today are enthusiastic, they are motivated by the solidarity they feel with the mothers and their children, they have learnt about behaving professionally. Let us not diffuse the good they can do because of indifference or lack of dialogue. We must strive to find ways that are feasible for these women to do their work effectively and for the nation to benefit from it.

I augur all who shall work and be involved in one way or another on these premises and with these people, satisfaction and pleasant working relationships and the mothers and babies we dedicate our service for, a healthy and pleasurable breastfeeding experience.

Thank you for listening.

I now invite you to share in some refreshments with us.

Diskors mis-Sinjura Sonia Camilleri, Kummissarju ghat-Tfal, fl-okkazzjoni tal-ftuh tac-centru l-gdid tal-ABC (Association of Breastfeeding Counsellors). 10 ta’ Ottubru 2005.

Illum ltqajna biex niccelebraw tlett evenimenti mportanti ghal kull min ghandu ghal qalbu l-gid tat-tfal Maltin.

1.     Il-ftuh ta’ post centrali fejn ix-xoghol tal ABC jkun centralizzat

2.     l-ftuh ta Centru li jservi biex dawk kollha li jahdmu f’dan il–qasam ghandhom post li jistghu juzaw biex jikordinaw ix-xoghol taghhom flimkien

3.     u issa ser jiehdu c-certifikat tat-tahrig taghhom bhala Breastfeeding Counsellors hdax il-mara li ilhom sena jitghallmu u jippreparaw, barra li kollha ghandhom esperjenza personali bhala ommijiet fuq is-suggett u li kellhom tahrig wkoll fil-prattika. 

Il-pjacir tieghi, bhala Kummissarju ghat-Tfal, li naqsam maghkom dawn il-grajjjiet allura huwa tripplu. 

L- Association of Breastfeeding Counsellors zvillupat seba’ snin ilu imma n-nies li bdew din l-ghaqda ilhom madwar 20 sena jaghtu sevizz ta’ ghajnuna lill-ommijiet li jkunu jreddghu, billi jkellmuhom minn fuq it-telephone personali tad-dar taghhom, billi jzuru lin-nisa fi djarhom, jorganizzaw korsijiet u laqghat ghan-nisa tqal – hafna drabi bi spiza kemm finanzjarja kemm personali. Tant jemmnu fil-gid li jiehdu t-trabi u l-ommijiet minn dan il-process naturali, li ma zammewx nisa milli jcemplulhom sahansitra bil-lejl jew nhar ta’Sibt u Hadd biex jitolbuhom parir.  Zgur li taw is-sehem taghhom biex il-breastfeeding ma nqatghax kompletament minn Malta meta l-kumpaniji tat-trab tal-halib waslu bi hgarhom biex jikkonvincu lin-nisa Maltin biex jaghtu l-halib tat-trab lit-tfal taghhom minnflok li jreddghu.

Illum ghandna servizzi godda illi niehdu pjacir inwasslu lil kull omm li ghandha jew ser ikollha tarbija.

Hemm  korsijiet ta’ Parentcraft, sew gewwa St. Luke’s, kif ukoll f’oqsma privati, fejn genituri jigu mghallma li l- breastfeeding huwa l’ahjar, u minn sena l-hawn hemm il-Breastfeeding Walk-In Clinic fil-Post-Natal ward gewwa l-isptar, li jilqa’ l-ommijiet darbtejn fil-gimgha u fi granet ohrajn bl-appuntament.

X’ser ikollu specjali mela dan ic-Centru?

L-ewwel net huwa ambjent illi mhux ta’sptar u li ghalhekk juri dejjem aktar illi li omm tredda’ lit-tarbija taghha hija l-aktar haga naturali.

Il-funzjonijiet ta’ dan ic-Centru li ftahna llum huma tnejn:

- L-ewwel ser iservi bhala post fejn l-ABC tkun tista ticcentralizza u tiko-ordina ix-xoghol tas-soltu taghha. Ghal dak li ghandu x’jaqsam ma problemi ta’ management, il-Breastfeeding Counsellors huma ppreparati sew biex iwiegbu kull problema. Jigu riferuti ghall-isptar biss dawk il-ftit ommijiet jew trabi illi jkollhom problema medika li jghoddu anqas minn 1% tal-ommijiet li jwelldu kull sena.  Ser ikompli s-sistema ta’ ghajnuna fid-djar mill-Breastfeeding Counsellors illi huma mharrga sewwa fuq is-suggett. Xoghol iehor huwa li hemm organizzati diversi korsijiet ta’ taghlim dwar il-breastfeeding, biex l-gharfien tal-gid li dan jaghmel jkun jista’ jasal ghand kemm jista’ jkun nies. Din l-assocjazzjoni hija affiljata ma ghaqdiet ohra nternazzjonali u ghalhekk il-materjal li ghandhom bzonn  mhux ser ikun nieqes.

B’hekk jintlahqu t-tlett skopijiet ta’ din l-Assocjazzjoni tal-Counsellors , jigifieri li jippromwovu u jipprotegu l-breastfeeding u jaghtu support lill-ommijiet.

 - It-tieni funzjoni  ta-dan ic-Centru huwa li jaqghad l-entitajiet kollha li b’xi mod dirett u anki undirett jinfluenzaw il-politika f’dan il-qasam u allura l-esperjenzi ta l-ommijiet li jridu jreddghu lit-tfal taghhom. Dawn l-entitajiet huma diversi ghax l-breastfeeding hija xi haga tal-familja u kif nafu l-familja hija milquta minn kull aspett ghax kollox idur madwara. Din is-sena qieghdin naraw tnejn minn dawn l-entitajiet jahdmu flimkien imma hemm lok ghal hafna izjed.

Dawn il-Breastfeeding Counsellors flimkien mal-midwives ta’ St. Luke’s qed jaghmlu dak li huwa d-dmir tal-Gvern li jaghmel. Dan johrog mill-fatt li Malta kienet rratifikat l-Konvenzjoni tad-drittijiet tat-Tfal li tghid f’artiklu 24 illi l-gvernijiet ghandhom ixerrdu t-taghlim dwar il-vantaggi tal-breastfeeding. Malta ghandha Breastfeeding Policy li minndu inholqot fis-sena 2000 il-gvern ghamel ftit li xejn biex jimplimentha. 

Jiena din il-gimgha ser nikteb lill-Ministru tas-Sahha biex infakkru dwar dan, imma sadatant, hija haga sabiha li tant minnkom ma qaghdux jistennew l-awtoritajiet jagixxu, imma mxew halli t-taghrif ma jonqosx.

Min qalbi nifrah u nirringrazzja lin-nisa li mill-lum ser ikunu rikonoxxuti bhala Counsellors tal-Breastfeeding godda, u nawgura illi n-nies ma jaqtghux minn wara l-bieb ta’ dan ic-Centru biex nghollu malajr kemm jista’ jkun r-rata baxxa hafna f’pajjizna tal –Breastfeeding. 

Grazzi.