Sharjah, November 21, 2015 – The Sharjah Baby Friendly Campaign (SBFC) participated in the 1st Annual Regional Breastfeeding Conference and the 2nd Annual Bright Start Conference on Woman’s & Child Health at the Beach Rotana in Abu Dhabi. The Bright Start Conference aims to raise awareness, educate and help all women and children reach their full potential, while The Breastfeeding Conference ran on 17 and 18 November and aimed to provide information and support for working mothers.

Several members of the SBFC delivered workshops and talks throughout the conferences. Dr. Hessa Khalfan Al Ghazal, Executive Committee Director of the Sharjah Baby Friendly Emirate Campaign, \be presented ‘The Sharjah Baby-Friendly Campaign (SBFC): A community-based model for breastfeeding promotion, protection and support’ on Tuesday, The presentation showcased the SBFC model of breastfeeding promotion, support and protection, and taught attendees the need for a comprehensive, holistic approach to breastfeeding. Throughout the workshop, Dr Hessa also discussed the sustainability of breastfeeding promotion models and the challenges and opportunities faced in this area.

Mrs Manal Abou Fakher, Coordinator of Educational Material at SBFC, presented a hands-on workshop as part of the 1st Annual Regional Breastfeeding Conference, entitled “Breastfeeding and Work, Let’s make it Work”. The workshop, educated participants on understanding how to manage breastfeeding after joining work, recognising the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and hazards of artificial milk and, finally, comprehending some answers that every breastfeeding mother who is employed needs to know.

In line with the national breastfeeding week 2015 celebrations, Mona Abdulrahman also conducted a similar workshop on back to work for breastfeeding mothers.

SBFC also had a stand up for the duration of the conferences, offering information and special giveaways to help create awareness.