Hello,
To support BMS, GOAL Ethiopia is providing Liptomil, for mothers unable to breastfeed and orphans. In the MAMI centre, We show them how to prepare, feed, and store. I have shared one case study below from our Gambela MAMI experiance.
Successful Breast Milk Substitute Programme support to infants who are dependent on Breast Milk substitutes under Management of small & nutritionally At-risk Infants under six months & their Mothers (MAMI) program
Since 2014, GOAL facilitates nutrition services in two large refugee camps namely Tierkadi and Kule in Gambella region with a population of over 100,000 South Sudanese refugees.
Breastfeeding is highly acceptable amongst the refugee population, however, individual infants needing supported artificial feeding are encountered, these infants are highly vulnerable and require urgent and targeted protection and support as they are at risk of morbidity and mortality. In GOAL’s comprehensive nutrition programme there are clear operating procedures for handling breastmilk substitutes and support to artificially fed infants.
Breast Milk substitutes (BMS) are only provided for individual infants 0 - <6 months of age where the need has been established using skilled individual assessment. The criteria for BMS use are as follows:
• Infants 0 - <6 months who are not breastfed and for whom relactation or wet nursing is not possible. This may include orphaned or abandoned infants or infants who have never been breastfed.
• Infants 0 - <6 months who are mixed fed whilst being supported to transition to exclusive breastfeeding. In this case, BMS is used temporarily (for a maximum of 2 months) while the mother/ caregiver is relactating or re-establishing exclusive breastfeeding.
• In exceptional situations where the mother and/or infant has a medical condition, and they are unable to breastfeed and wet nursing is not possible.
In 2014, during the war in South Sudan, Nyarek Chuol and her husband fled South Sudan with their children and sought refuge in Tierkidi refugee camp. In 2020, Nyarek was pregnant, when she was ready to give birth, she went to the health centre in Tierkadi refugee camp. During labor, she experienced obstetric complications and was referred to Jimma hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Nyabum. Following a seven-day stay in the hospital, she was referred back to the refugee camp with her infant, however, she became ill again after fifteen days and was referred to the health centre, where she was admitted and treated for her illness but, on the fifth day Nyarek Chuol passed way, in November 2020 at the health centre.
Following Nyarek’s death, the grandmother took care of the infant, but she was not able to breastfeed, re-lactate or afford to buy powedered milk. So, GOAL supported the infant with breast milk substitutes. The GOAL counselors provided advice for Nyabum’s grandmother in the nutrition centre daily on the preparation, feeding, and storage of the milk until she was well able to prepare the formula milk by herself for Nyabum. Then the grandmother was given formula milk to use at home and she was followed up in her home daily by GOAL’s community outreach agents and she returned every third day to the nutrition centre for assessment and for restocking of milk and materials.
Nyabum is now one year old, she now weights 7.4kg, Height is 68cm MUAC 13CM and Weight for Ht Z-score=>-2. GOAL continues to support Nyabum with play therapy and in the Blanket supplementary feeding programme and her grandmother in the fresh food voucher programme. She is happy and content in this challenging environment, far from her family’s native home.