Information:
 They
are everywhere in The Gambia, most often caught napping
as they travel around town tied to their mother’s back.
A birth in The Gambia is cause for celebration and congratulations;
about seven days after a baby comes into the world,
his/her parents will host a lavish naming ceremony,
a big party to celebrate the assignment of a baby’s
nomenclature.
Since babies
of both sexes look similar, you might finds it hard
to know if you are looking at a male or female, since
boys are just as likely to wear pink as the ladies are.
One trick is to check the child’s earlobes—girls’ ears
are usually pierced when they are very young; if earrings
have not been inserted, you will most likely notice
string threaded through the lobes. If no holes are present,
you can probably assume it’s a boy.
Facts & Figures:
Traditional beliefs and practices influence the way
a mother feeds her infant in the Gambia. Exclusive breastfeeding
for any duration is one component of optimal breast-feeding
that Gambian mothers find difficult to practice. Thus,
community participation is one of the strategies intended
to promote exclusive infant breastfeeding. In this regard,
a pilot project, entitled The Baby-friendly Community
Initiative (BFCI), was organized in the 12 rural communities
of the Gambia.
The project was based on the global UN International
Children's Emergency Fund / WHO Baby-friendly Hospital
Initiative. Differences are noted to have occurred between
community initiative and hospital initiative in two
major areas. These include the changing of the hospital
initiatives' '10 steps to successful breastfeeding'
into '10 steps to successful infant feeding'. Secondly,
the traditional mother-to-mother support groups were
adapted to 'village support groups on infant feeding'.
In its sixth year of implementation, the BFCI contributed
to the increase in national average of exclusive breast-feeding
from 17.4% in 1998 to 35% in 2000. Lastly, the communities'
perceived benefits of the project went beyond its impact
on breastfeeding practices to include cleaner environment,
fewer mosquitoes, healthier infants and pregnant women.
Africa Health, 2001
 One
of the most important recent developments in child health
is a tracking system that records a baby's health on
a blue infant-welfare card. UNICEF has just spent $10,000
on new cards to make sure there are enough for all children.
There also has been a strong push to educate women about
HIV and how they can protect themselves and their children.
Testing is offered, as well as counselling and medication
if needed. |
