Critical mass needed to change face of infant health
One thing you'll notice if you've surfed the web in the UK and were looking for help and guidance on breastfeeding, or or just reassurance and motivation; up till now, there's been no cohesive effort, no multi-pronged government approach and certainly no financial backing for such an effort. Sure, lots of little people (like us) doing their bit and increasingly frustrated at the Government's dragging of heels.
The breastfeeding charities do an amazing job but they are running tight ships and need to put all their focus into front line support. If you've seen the recent billboard ads featuring a man with chest pains being graphically constricted by his own body, you've seen a public health campaign (run not by the DOH, but a heart charity ). Wouldn't it be great to have a collaborative, top level body to do this kind of promotion for infant health?
Well, now is a truly exciting time for everyone in this field due to the determination of one woman (and a growing band of supporters). Alison Baum, ex BBC science communicator and former founder of Express Yourself Mums, has spent the last couple of years doing hard graft to launch Best Beginnings (http//www.bestbeginnings.info) - a charity to reduce health inequalities in infant health. Her primary focus right now is to increase breastfeeding rates in the UK (both healthy babies and preterm). This lady deserves a medal and she certainly deserves all the support she can get, both financial and moral. Alison has been the driving force behind getting over 30 organisations together to form a coalition. The new Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition has presented a document called the Breastfeeding Manifesto to Tony Blair and every MP, urging them to sign up to support seven key points. You can read about the Manifesto on http://www.breastfeedingmanifesto.org.uk. Please read, sign up and then use the interactive site to find out whether your local MP has also signed up. It's rather clever as you can then email them using ready made text so it's really not much work. You don't even need to know their name!
I have had the pleasure of meeting Alison as I've been doing some design work for her and the Manifesto. It is this sort of collaboration on a grand scale that will change the face of infant health in this country for good.
The breastfeeding charities do an amazing job but they are running tight ships and need to put all their focus into front line support. If you've seen the recent billboard ads featuring a man with chest pains being graphically constricted by his own body, you've seen a public health campaign (run not by the DOH, but a heart charity ). Wouldn't it be great to have a collaborative, top level body to do this kind of promotion for infant health?
Well, now is a truly exciting time for everyone in this field due to the determination of one woman (and a growing band of supporters). Alison Baum, ex BBC science communicator and former founder of Express Yourself Mums, has spent the last couple of years doing hard graft to launch Best Beginnings (http//www.bestbeginnings.info) - a charity to reduce health inequalities in infant health. Her primary focus right now is to increase breastfeeding rates in the UK (both healthy babies and preterm). This lady deserves a medal and she certainly deserves all the support she can get, both financial and moral. Alison has been the driving force behind getting over 30 organisations together to form a coalition. The new Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition has presented a document called the Breastfeeding Manifesto to Tony Blair and every MP, urging them to sign up to support seven key points. You can read about the Manifesto on http://www.breastfeedingmanifesto.org.uk. Please read, sign up and then use the interactive site to find out whether your local MP has also signed up. It's rather clever as you can then email them using ready made text so it's really not much work. You don't even need to know their name!
I have had the pleasure of meeting Alison as I've been doing some design work for her and the Manifesto. It is this sort of collaboration on a grand scale that will change the face of infant health in this country for good.
posted by Jo Bradshaw at 10:53 am
1 Comments:
Well written article.
Post a Comment
<< Home