The World Breastfeeding Week is launched in 120 countries worldwide including Turkmenistan on August 1. In our country the events and activities will be held in the first week of September in the framework of the National Breastfeeding Week.

The organizers of the events of the World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) are the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners – World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and World Health Organisation.

In our country the work on legally secured maternity and child health care are of paramount importance when conducting prevention activities. The large-scale work on improvement of the girls’ health is carried out, women’s health in the period of gestation puerperal period are taken under medical control, the national programmes on breastfeeding, immunoprophylaxis, safe maternity, integrated treatment of children diseases and anemia control stipulating for salt iodination and enrichment flour with iron.

Breastfeeding is an ancient tradition of the Turkmen people that is maintained and actively developed nowadays. In the present period in Turkmenistan over 90% of infants are breast fed. Moreover, a major part of the maternity and child care centres in the country have the international certificates of the Baby-Friendly Hospital that testifies to the success of the reforms and wide breastfeeding campaigns.

The vaccination and other disease prevention activities are taken under strict control. A number of the national and joint projects with the international organisations are implemented. The Ministry of Health and Medical Industry signed the bilateral long-term agreement with the UN Children’s Fund for delivery of vaccines. The National Vacation Programme aimed at controlling and vaccinating against infectious diseases till 2010 is implemented in the country.

The country implements the programme on protection of reproductive health. The Reproductive health centres affiliated with the Maternity and Child Care Research and Clinic Centre are opened in Ashgabat and the administrative centres of the regions, the reproductive health rooms in etraps and teenager reproductive health centres in Ashgabat and the centres of the regions. In the nearest future the Ene Myakhri maternity and child care centres like those opened in Ashgabat and supplied with advanced medical technologies and equipment will be built throughout the country.

Breast milk is ultimately the best source of nutrition for a new baby. Many components in breast milk help protect your baby against infection and disease. That is proved by the centuries-old traditions of different peoples and healthcare specialists and international experts urge to support mothers for ensure the gold standards for each child – exclusively breastfeeding till six month and long-lasting breastfeeding till two years and older.