Indonesia: Health Services Program
See the Early Initiation of Breastfeeding Video that is being shown worldwide!
The Indonesia Health Services Program (HSP) works at the district level to reduce mortality among mothers, newborns, and children and to improve basic health facilities. HSP is funded by USAID and managed by JSI (2005-2010).
The Manoff Group is a subcontractor responsible for behavior change communication (BCC), community mobilization, newborn health, child health, and nutrition. At the community level, The Manoff Group works with partners in community mobilization to scale up skilled birth attendance, promote immediate breastfeeding, and encourage handwashing with soap. Manoff staff have worked to train health personnel in BCC skills that enable them to work more effectively. District-wide BCC working groups coordinate the integrated delivery of messages through health service providers, community health committees, print materials, and mass media.
Support for Early Initiation of Breastfeeding
One key intervention that saves the lives of mothers and children is simple, cost-effective, and evidence-based: the early initiation of breastfeeding. HSP has updated midwife training materials and promoted community activities for early initiation. In addition, a widely disseminated clinical training video on early initiation of breastfeeding was produced by Indonesia's National Clinical Training Network, Ministry of Health, and professional associations with support from HSP. Manoff staff identified the need for this information and facilitated the planning and production process.
One of the most notable aspects of the early initiation campaign is advocacy workshops, with local government and health officials joining together to promote early breastfeeding. The workshops have been greatly helped by Dr. Utami Roesli, a leading Indonesian pediatrician and tireless champion of early breastfeeding.
Out of Manoff Group BCC training in West Jakarta district came the self-labeled "Gang of 15," Ministry of Health and NGO personnel, who created an innovative campaign to improve rates of immediate breastfeeding that gained high-level political support. The campaign kicked off with the highly publicized "1001 Pregnant Women" event, where attendees publicly declared their intention to breastfeed their newborns immediately after giving birth. The Manoff Group continues to support the "Gang of 15" and their campaign |
