NCOP
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 393
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 09 September 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)
Mr S H Plaatjie (COPE-NW) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether his department has conducted any research regarding the
consequences of breastfeeding by mothers living with HIV/Aids; if not,
why not; if so, (a) when, (b) what were the findings, (c) who
conducted the research and (d) which geographical areas were covered
during the research;
(2) whether his department has any educational programmes in this regard;
if not, why not; if so, (a) what programmes, (b) in which areas are
these programmes presented and (c) how much money was allocated
towards these programmes in each province since implementation?
CW492E
REPLY:
1) No, the Department did not conduct the research itself, but it was
rather conducted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal researchers.
a) 2007-2008;
b) Breastfeeding is not harmful to the mother in the presence of
HIV infection and improves her mental health. Breastfeeding
mothers had significantly lower events of depression (which
makes biological sense because of the increased levels of
oxytocin during breastfeeding);
c) Dr Gurpreet Kindra and Prof Anna Coutsoudis - Dept Paediatrics
and Child Health, UKZN;
d) The study was conducted in a resource limited setting in Durban.
2) Yes, the Department of Health has instituted programmes on
Breastfeeding:
(a) - Training of health care workers on Infant and Young Child
Feeding in the context of HIV and AIDS;
- Implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative;
- Annually, during the World Breastfeeding Week in August
breastfeeding awareness activities are conducted;
- In health facilities breastfeeding education is provided during
antenatal and postnatal visits;
- Recently the Department held a Breastfeeding consultative
meeting on 22-23 August 2011. The aim of the meeting was to
reposition breastfeeding as a key child survival strategy.
This meeting was attended by about 750 delegates
representing various sectors including civil society.
b) In all nine provinces;
(c) Breastfeeding promotion is provided as an integrated PHC
service; therefore the budget cannot be quantified.
END.