Online LactaHub workshop: Exploring the benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk

Explore the nutritional and health benefits of breastfeeding and discover its positive influence on child development and maternal well-being. Through this LactaHub workshop hosted as a pre-event to the 1st Amref International University Primary Healthcare Congress, LactaHub aims to shed light on the global significance of breastfeeding, the nutrients in breastmilk, its immediate and long-term health advantages for children, and its positive effects on maternal health.

Agenda:
Workshop kick-off and introduction
Welcome from Amref International University
Why breastfeeding is important
Benefits for child health
Benefits for maternal health
Q&A
Closing

Welcome AMIU:
Dr. Alice Lakati, Director of Research and Community Extension, Amref International University (AMIU), Kenya

Speakers:
Dr. Sutantri, Lecturer & Head of School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Esther Nyokabi Kimani, Doula and Lactation Specialist, Kenya
Mili Wanjiru Karina, IBCLC, Maternal and Child Health Expert, Kenya

Moderation:
Arancha de la Horra, Clinical Research Specialist, The Global Health Network, UK

Organized by:
Amref International University
The Global Health Network (University of Oxford)
LactaHub

LactaHub workshop recording, 7 November:

Access the LactaHub workshop slides in PDF (Download 6.5MB): LactaHub workshop: Exploring the benefits of breastfeeding and breastmilk

Dr. Alice Lakati is a seasoned epidemiologist and public health expert with more than 20 years of distinguished performance. She is the first and current Director, Research and Community Extension at Amref International University, an affiliate of Amref Health Africa. She has led design and implementation of research and evaluations of programs in multiple countries across Africa. She has taught in private and public universities in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. She has served in various expert committees including the World Health Organization. At Amref International University, she has served in several capacities including acting Vice-Chancellor, founding Dean, School of Public Health and Graduate School. She is a dynamic, strategic leader who has not only taught but mentored students and colleagues. Her academic qualifications include a PhD in Epidemiology. She is passionate about education, public health nutrition, community health and the impact of climate change on livlihoods. She is widely published and her publications include breastfeeding and employment, among others.

Dr. Sutantri is a community nursing lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY), Indonesia. She is also the Head of School of Nursing UMY and teaches several courses in community health, health promotion, family nursing, and research method at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has a particular interest in health promotion and disease prevention, policy-making, cardiac rehabilitation, tobacco control, communicable and non-communicable disease management, community nursing, as well feminist research/gender-based analysis. She completed her doctorate at the University of Edinburgh (2019). Her doctoral research explored women’s participation in cardiac rehabilitation programmes utilising feminist methodology.

Esther Nyokabi Kimani has a Bachelor's Degree in Education and an MA in Child Study and Human Development. She is also a Certified Doula (CD, DONA), Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE), Certified Infant Massage Instructor (IAIM), Certified Nutrition Advisor, Certified Lactation Specialist CLC, Spinning Babies Parent Educator (SpBCPE), and also a Certified Infant and Young Child Nutrition Specialist. Her mission is to provide families with nurturing, compassionate and unwavering support throughout pregnancy, birth, the postpartum period and parenting. Esther believes that every mother and child are special, and that pregnancy, childbirth and childcare are stages that need to be given the utmost attention for a pleasant and happy start to a healthy and wholesome life.

Mili Wanjiru Karina is an exceptional advocate for maternal, infant, and child health, boasting an impressive range of qualifications and expertise. With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, she has established herself as a dedicated Public Health Specialist, Registered Nurse Midwife, and Board Certified Lactation Consultant. A Registered Nurse Midwife with expertise in Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Health and Nutrition. Proven in strategic program development, team management, and health-based initiatives. Experienced in community engagement, partnerships, and maternal education.

Arancha de la Horra is a dedicated nurse and midwife, holding a Master's degree in Health Care Practice. With a wealth of experience in clinical governance and managing clinical research projects in maternity care, she brings valuable expertise to the field. In her role as LactaHub’s Project Manager, Arancha passionately supports activities aimed at highlighting the global importance of breastfeeding and its profound positive impacts on maternal and infant health. Beyond her key role in LactaHub, Arancha extends her support to various knowledge hubs within The Global Health Network, particularly those focusing on maternal and child health. She is also deeply committed to empowering healthcare professionals engaged in research, exemplified by Global Research Nurses. Arancha has also taken the lead in several research projects under The Global Health Network’s umbrella, including the development of the Research Skills Training Curriculum, the Impact Assessment of INTERGROWTH-21st, and identifying COVID-19 Research Priorities in collaboration with the global research community.

LactaWebinar in honor of World Breastfeeding Week 2023: Breastfeeding challenges for working mothers and their families in different workplace settings

As the global community strives to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include ending hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, it is imperative that we prioritize good nutrition for women and children during the first 1,000 days from conception until a child turns two years old. Breastmilk is recognized as the single most effective intervention and a necessary building block during this critical period to ensure children can reach their full potential.

However, research has shown that returning to work without adequate support can hinder breastfeeding. Researchers report that some employers and fellow employees are uncomfortable with women breastfeeding at work and that the demands of work often contribute to the decision not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding early. The increasing number of women in the workforce underscores the need for breastfeeding support in the workplace, including the provision of lactation rooms and paid time to breastfeed or express breastmilk.

During this LactaWebinar, LactaHub fosters a dialogue with international experts on the significance of creating a breastfeeding enabling environment in the workplace. The panelists discuss challenges faced by mothers and offer viable solutions to overcome these challenges.

Agenda
Introduction and welcome
Presentations by esteemed international experts
Q&A session with audience
Closing remarks

Chair
Dr. Alice Lakati, Director of Research and Community Extension, Amref International University, Kenya

Expert panelists
Josephine W. Munene, Maternal, Infant and Child Health Specialist & Lactation Support Professional, Kenya Association for Breastfeeding, Kenya
Dr. Oscar Rojas Trejo, MD, Occupational Health & Wellbeing, Corporate Manager, Mabe Global, Mexico
Gabrielle Sauini, Speech-Language Pathologist and Children’s Health Specialist, Associação Brasileira de Pais, Familiares, Amigos e Cuidadores de Bebês Prematuros – Prematuridade.com NGO, Brazil

Moderator
Kathrin Litwan, Nutrition Expert and Doctoral Candidate, Yale School of Public Health, USA & Switzerland

Organized by
Amref International University
The Global Health Network (University of Oxford)
LactaHub

LactaWebinar recording, 3 August 2023

Access the LactaWebinar slides in PDF (Download 12MB): Breastfeeding challenges for working mothers and their families in different workplace settings

Recording of key presentations: LactaHub Workshop, Explore Ethical Principles in Health and Breastfeeding Research by Using EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions

Scientific Annual Conference 2023 of the Kenya Peadiatric Association (KPA), Mombasa, Kenya

Prof. Violet Naanyu (Moi University School of Arts and Social Sciences), Ms. Caroline Kithinji (Kenya Medical Research Institute) and Dr. Stephen Muhudhia (Nairobi Hospital), together with EFBRI’s co-creator Prof. Nikola Biller-Andorno (University of Zurich), introduce EFBRI and its key applications for research and interventions targeting optimal child health via breastfeeding. The workshop explores real-world ethics scenarios. During the in-person workshop, participants were able to ask questions and discover how to apply an ethics lens to their own work in child health as they walked through case studies and practical situations.

EFBRI is an open access framework of ethics considerations related to breastfeeding research and interventions. Built on established international standards, it was created to streamline research and intervention processes for people working with breastfeeding mothers and children. With EFBRI, health professionals can align their work to universal research ethics standards – confidently and efficiently.

Access on LactaHub: EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions

LactaHub Workshop recording, 26 April 2023

Access key presentations in PDF: LactaHub Workshop slides

Case studies that were discussed during the Lactahub Workshop:
Case 28
2016. Bosire. High Rates of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Both Arms
2018. Mohamed. KAP
2020. Talbert. Exclusive Breastfeeding in First Time

Recording of key presentations: LactaHub Symposium on Infant and Young Child Feeding – An Innovative Method for Effective Campaign Planning

The Global Health Network Conference 2022, University of Cape Town, South Africa

The LactaHub Symposium introduces an innovative approach using social science and business strategies for planning an effective breastfeeding campaign in support of strategic WHO and UNICEF goals.

The approach is currently being developed in a research project led by Dr. Chantell Witten and co-hosted by the University of the Western Cape, the University of Pretoria and the Department of Science and Technology at the National Research Centre of Excellence in Food Security. The project aligns with the WHO strategic goals for improving WHO Code legislation as outlined in the 2022 WHO and UNICEF report: How the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding.

The approach has the potential to serve as a general template for the systematic and ethical planning of effective health campaigns.

The project and approach introduction are complemented by a keynote presentation by Professor Richmond Aryeetey on Identification and Classification of Interventions that Promote, Protect and Support Breastfeeding.

LactaHub Symposium recording, 23 November 2022

Access key presentations in PDF: LactaHub Symposium slides

View posters by Dr. Chantell Witten & Dr. Nazeeia Sayed and Professor Richmond Aryeetey as displayed at TGHN Conference 2022, University of Cape Town:
Poster Dr. Chantell Witten & Dr. Nazeeia Sayed
Poster Professor Richmond Aryeetey

Access all recordings of The Global Health Network Conference 2022 and further materials: The Global Health Network Conference 2022 website

Dr. Chantell Witten is a registered Dietitian with a PhD from the Centre of Excellence for Nutrition at the North West University, South Africa. Dr. Witten has more than 20 years of experience in public health nutrition across several sectors, most notably academia, the UN and the NGO sector, having worked across several countries in Africa and South East Asia. Dr. Witten has authored and coauthored several peer-reviewed articles and conversation opinion pieces on infant and young child food and nutrition security. She currently leads the Infant and Young Child Feeding Advocacy Project hosted at the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Food Security at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.

Dr. Nazeeia Sayed is a registered dietitian with experience spanning the areas of food composition, teaching public health nutrition, project technical nutrition support, project management, partnerships, and communication development. She spent 7 years in an industry R&D role leading the regional nutrition team, and supporting nutrition projects in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Turkey. Dr. Sayed’s PhD was in the area of infant feeding. She is currently working as a researcher and project manager for the National Dietary Intake Survey at University of the Western Cape, and supports the IYCF Advocacy Project.

Professor Richmond Aryeetey is a Public Health Nutrition Specialist and Head of the Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Department at the University of Ghana. He has been a faculty member of the University of Ghana since 2007. He has a PhD in Human Nutrition from Iowa State University (Ames, USA) and both a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Ghana. His research focuses on Food Systems and Nutrition Policy, with emphasis on the diet and nutrition of infants and young children. He has extensive experience in conducting policy and field research related to optimizing infant and young feeding in various contexts in and outside Ghana. He teaches courses in Public Health Nutrition, Food Security and Malnutrition, Nutrition Rehabilitation and Nutrition Interventions. Professor Aryeetey is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a Co-Chair of the Task Team for Ghana’s first Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. He is also a Co-Chair of the WHO Guidelines Development Committee on Complementary feeding.

LactaWebinar in honor of World Breastfeeding Week: Feeding vulnerable infants with breastmilk in diverse neonatal hospital settings

Preterm and low birth weight babies in neonatal care settings benefit greatly from breastmilk, yet getting breastmilk to these babies can be challenging. In this LactaWebinar international experts share their specialized knowledge and practical experiences for overcoming common breastmilk feeding challenges.

Agenda:
Topic introduction
Growth of preterm babies and the INTERGROWTH-21st Standards
Expert conversation on human milk banking
Expert conversation on training health professionals in NICU settings
Q&As

Experts:
Dr. Adejumoke Idowu Ayede, Senior Lecturer and a Consultant Paediatrician in the Department of Paediatrics and Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statisitcs, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria; Team Lead of the Newborn and Child Survival Research Consortium, Centre for African Newborn Health and Nutrition
Dr. Sushma Nangia, MD, DM, Director Professor and Head, Department of Neonatology, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi, India
Gillian Weaver, International Milk Banking Specialist and Consultant, London, UK; Co-founder of UK Association for Milk Banking and the European Milk Bank Association; Co-founder of Hearts Milk Bank and the Human Milk Foundation

Moderators:
Professor Dr. Fook Choe Cheah, Professor of Paediatrics in Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM); Senior Consultant Neonatologist, Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital (HCTM) and Children’s Specialist Hospital (HPKK) of UKM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Adjunct Professor of Paediatrics in Neonatology Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
Lydia Boampong Owusu, Lecturer, Department of Nursing, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana; Part-time faculty at the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM); Registered Nurse, Specialised in Paediatric Nursing with Expertise in Newborn Care; Registered Dietitian

LactaWebinar recording, 4 August 2022

Access the webinar slides in PDF: Feeding vulnerable infants with breastmilk in diverse neonatal hospital settings

Watch the video shared by Gillian Weaver during the LactaWebinar: Human Milk Foundation

LactaHub provides access to a wide range of freely available, evidence-based and useful resources for health practitioners working in neonatal hospital settings:

INTERGROWTH-21^st Preterm Postnatal Growth Standards and Feeding Protocol are globally validated growth standards, feeding protocols, clinical tools and practical training materials created to improve preterm infant health outcomes globally. INTERGROWTH-21^st is coordinated by the University of Oxford.

A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks. Compiled by a group of international experts, the toolkit is a compendium of standards and best practices that communities can follow to set up and operate safe, high-quality and sustainable human milk banks – a lifesaving alternative for babies that lack access to their own mothers' milk.

PROVIDE – A Training Compendium on Providing Mothers’ Own Milk in NICU Settings. This open access, evidence-based resource was produced by Rush University Medical Center to help healthcare professionals implement lifesaving mothers’ own milk feeding practices for infants in intensive care worldwide.

Ethics in Health and Breastfeeding Research Series: Webinar II
Offering Financial Incentives to Participants in Health and Breastfeeding Research

Offering financial incentives is a common practice in health research to recruit participants, retain them, and promote health-related behaviours. Nevertheless, the use of these incentives remains controversial in some cases. In this webinar, international experts present their views on financial incentives in health research, discuss the ethical questions around the topic with a focus on breastfeeding research, and answer questions from the audience.

The Swiss Medical Weekly has published a viewpoint on the topic of the webinar. Please access it here: Swiss Medical Weekly

Agenda:
Introduction and short update on EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions
Experts present their views and share their experiences
Q&A with the audience and the experts
Wrap up and closing remarks

Speakers:
Mary Ani-Amponsah, Researcher, School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, and Country Representative for the Council of International Neonatal Nurses, Ghana
Farah Asif, Clinical Research Administrator, Head of the Clinical Research Office, and Secretary of the Scientific Review Committee and the Institutional Review Board, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Pakistan
David B. Resnik, Bioethicist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, USA
David Yanagizawa-Drott, Professor of Development and Emerging Markets at the Department of Economics and Managing Director of the LRF Center for Economics of Breastfeeding, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Chairs:
Nikola Biller-Andorno and Tania Manríquez Roa, Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics

This webinar is part of the Forum for Global Health Ethics Webinar Series and completes the LactaWebinar on EFBRI – an Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions.

Webinar recording, 13 April 2022

Access the webinar slides in PDF: Offering Financial Incentives to Participants in Health and Breastfeeding Research

Ethics in Health and Breastfeeding Research Series: Webinar I
LactaWebinar introducing EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions

Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Nikola Biller-Andorno presents and discusses EFBRI.

The Journal of Medical Ethics blog has published a summary of the expert panel discussion: When context calls: EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions. Please access it here: Journal of Medical Ethics blog

Agenda:
Update from The Global Health Network and LactaHub
Introduction to LactaHub's LactaEthics vision
Tour of EFBRI on LactaHub
Expert conversation on the practical application of ethical frameworks
Q&As

Speakers:
Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Nikola Biller-Andorno, Co-creator of EFBRI; Director of the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine (University of Zurich), Switzerland, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics
Dr. Katharina Lichtner, Managing Director, Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation, Switzerland
Dr. Farah Asif, Clinical Research Administrator, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Pakistan; Initiative lead: Developing a Policy Statement and Recommendations for Pakistan’s Ethics Review Framework and IRBs in Support of Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Dr. Stephen Ombok Muhudhia, Specialist Paediatrician, Nairobi Hospital, Kenya; Adjunct Professor of Bioethics at Trinity International University; Co-Director of Trinity International University’s Africa Bioethics Initiative program; Member of the Scientific, Ethics and Research Unit (SERU) of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)

Access EFBRI in PDF: EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions, Version 1.1

This LactaWebinar completes the Forum for Global Health Ethics Webinar on Offering Financial Incentives to Participants in Health and Breastfeeding Research.

LactaWebinar recording, 10 March 2022

Access the webinar slides in PDF: LactaWebinar introducing EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions

LactaWebinar introducing PROVIDE – A Training Compendium on Providing Mothers' Own Milk in NICU Settings

Dr. Paula P. Meier explores the PROVIDE Training Compendium and discusses practical applications of PROVIDE's videos and information sheets in NICU settings with experts.

Agenda:
Update from The Global Health Network (University of Oxford) and LactaHub
Exploration of the PROVIDE Training Compendium
Practical application of the PROVIDE Training Compendium
Q&A with the audience

Speakers:
Dr. Paula P. Meier, PhD, RN, PROVIDE Training Compendium creator and Professor of Pediatrics and Nursing, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA
Dr. Sushma Nangia, MD, DM, Director Professor and Head, Department of Neonatology, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi, India
Janet Prince, RM, IBCLC, Prince New Life, Baar, Switzerland

Access the training compendium: PROVIDE – A Training Compendium on Providing Mothers’ Own Milk in NICU Settings

LactaWebinar recording, 6 August 2020

Webinar introducing Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks

Dr. Kiersten Israel-Ballard and Kimberly Mansen from PATH introduce "Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Bank Programs" during the Breastfeeding Innovations Team Webinar hosted by Leith Greenslade. The toolkit provides critical guidance on readiness, quality assurance, operations, auditing, training, monitoring and evaluation, and communications to facilitate the safe and quality provision of donor human milk to infants who need it around the world.

Please download Strengthening Human Milk Banking: A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks for free, and find further information about human milk banking.

Webinar materials, 28 February 2019

Access audio recording (MP3) and slide deck (PDF) now.