Tag Archives: breastfeeding

AMA

Three years of war: Sudan’s people abandoned and hungry

2026-04-14 MaraviPost Leave a comment

Rome, Italy,14 April 2026 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- On the eve of three years of devastating war, the Sudanese people are still being left to cope with intense fighting and widespread suffering. Conflict is killing and injuring countless civilians, and leaving millions without access to food, shelter or sanitation, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today.
The international community has failed to prevent and end this conflict and to protect the Sudanese people from atrocities,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Deputy Executive Director, who just returned from Darfur. “The people I met in camps have been through hell. They have fled their homes leaving everything behind and now live in appalling conditions. They deserve so much better. We need to make sure they are not let down again and provide the basic support they need.”

More than 19 million people still face acute hunger in Sudan, and famine continues to haunt parts of the country as violence, displacement and economic collapse grind on. Communities have been cut off from food, markets, and aid, and children have been forced to miss three years of education, with their future hanging in the balance. Sudan remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with almost two‑thirds of the population now in urgent need of assistance to survive.

Sudan’s hunger crisis now risks being compounded by the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. Disruptions in the Red Sea are delaying critical imports, driving up the cost of food, fuel and fertilizer. Fuel prices in Sudan have increased by over 24 percent, driving up food prices and leaving millions unable to afford the most basic staples.

These same disruptions are also directly impacting humanitarian operations, with delayed shipments and higher transport costs. The combined impact could push families across the country deeper into food insecurity.

“The women I spoke to across Sudan told me they don’t have enough to feed their children and have no access to the most basic services,” warned Skau. “WFP and the humanitarian community have the experience and capacity to step up our support. But to do so, we need humanitarian aid to be allowed to move freely, safely and at scale – and we need far more funding.”

WFP is hyper‑prioritizing famine zones and hard‑to‑reach areas, reaching 3.5 million people each month with emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance. Two‑thirds of those WFP assists are in Darfur and Kordofan, where famine is confirmed and where fighting is heaviest. More than two million children under five and more than 500,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls benefited from nutrition assistance last year.

WFP is also sustaining livelihoods and local food systems: During the last harvest season, WFP-supported farmers produced nearly one fifth of the country’s wheat, strengthening the local economy and reducing food insecurity.

“We need to continue investing in the future of the Sudanese people,” said Skau. “We can help communities rebuild their lives by expanding our support for farmers to grow their own food again and by providing school meals to help enable children to return to school. But we need the funding to do it.”

WFP food assistance has dropped by 14 percent since January, as compared to last year, due to a lack of resources; the agency urgently requires more than USD 600 million to sustain life-saving operations in Sudan for the next six months.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Word Food Programme

Note to editors:
High-resolution photos available here
Broadcast quality video footage can be downloaded here

About World Food Programme
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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AMA, Health

When Science Protects the Most Vulnerable: An Interview with Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend (Cameroon)

2026-04-08 MaraviPost Leave a comment

Geneva, Switzerland, 08 April 2026- /African Media Agency (AMA)/- On World Health Day 2026, under the theme “Together for health. Stand with science,” World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting individuals who use science to improve lives across the African Region.

A paediatrician and public health expert based in Cameroon, Professor Anne Esther Njom Nlend explains how science helps protect health—especially for mothers, newborns and children. Drawing on concrete examples from the African context, she illustrates how scientific evidence guides medical decisions, saves lives and supports sustainable progress.

Why is it important for everyone to understand the role of science in health?
Science is the foundation of quality healthcare. While caring for patients requires experience and compassion, medical decisions must be based on reliable, up-to-date evidence—an approach known as evidence-based medicine. This helps ensure that every intervention delivers more benefits than risks, while also taking into account safety, patient acceptance and cost.

Through research, treatments, vaccines and prevention methods are tested, assessed and continuously improved. Interventions are recommended only after demonstrating their effectiveness and safety through rigorous evaluation. These findings are then translated into guidelines used by health professionals to improve both life expectancy and quality of life.

How do data and research improve day-to-day decisions for mothers and newborns?
Medical recommendations are based on different levels of scientific evidence. Today, the most reliable data come from large studies and analyses that combine findings from multiple trials, making it possible to compare interventions and select those that are most effective.

In maternal and newborn health, research has helped adapt practices to local realities. For example, studies show that kangaroo mother care—which involves skin-to-skin contact between a newborn and the mother—significantly improves survival among low-birth-weight babies.

For HIV, evidence shows that when a mother adheres to treatment and the virus is undetectable in her blood, the risk of transmitting HIV to her child—even during breastfeeding—is very low.

What are the main remaining barriers to children’s access to quality healthcare in the region?
There are several barriers. The most common is financial: even when services are available, some families struggle to access them. Geographic constraints also play a role, alongside social and cultural factors that influence care-seeking behaviour.

Experience shows that reducing costs increases the use of health services; however, this alone is not sufficient. Misinformation, false beliefs or mistrust of certain interventions—such as vaccination—can also limit access. This is why clear communication, community engagement and active listening are essential, alongside a well-functioning health system that avoids shortages of medicines and supplies.

What major advances has research enabled in Africa, particularly in paediatric HIV and newborn health?
Progress has been significant. In Africa, research has contributed to a substantial reduction in new paediatric HIV infections. Thanks to improved treatments and the “test and treat” approach, the number of new infections among children has declined markedly. Today, children born with HIV can grow up, reach adulthood, start families and have HIV-negative children. This represents a major public health achievement made possible by science.

In newborn health, maternal vaccination has nearly eliminated neonatal tetanus. Other simple, evidence-based practices—such as hand hygiene, delayed clamping of the umbilical cord and training in neonatal resuscitation—have also contributed to improved newborn survival.

What can each person do to support better health for all?
Health begins in the community. Everyone can play a role by adopting healthy behaviours, including good hygiene practices, seeking care early and protecting themselves from disease.

It is also important to rely on trustworthy sources of information, counter misinformation and support local health initiatives. Communities also have a role in engaging with and monitoring research projects conducted with them, as they are the first to benefit from the results.

As WHO emphasizes, achieving health for all requires standing together—and standing with science.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of World Health Organisation.

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Entertainment

Why Rose Byrne Believes Breastfeeding Is ‘More Challenging’ Than Childbirth

2026-02-01 Maravi Post Reporter

Rose Byrne isn’t afraid to discuss the less-than-glamorous parts of motherhood — including and perhaps especially breastfeeding.

“Having a baby is like going to the moon, and nobody ever tells you that,” Bryne, 46, told The Sunday Times in an interview published on Saturday, January 31.

“I had a really hard time breastfeeding and found it very challenging, even more challenging than delivery,” the actress continued. “And I said to a good girlfriend, Carla Gallo, who I do Platonic with, ‘Mate, why didn’t you tell me how hard it was?’ And she was like, ‘I couldn’t tell you. I didn’t want to scare you.’ I was like, ‘Carla! Why didn’t you tell me?’”

Byrne added, “But it’s hard for women to talk about it. There’s a lot of shame. You don’t want to feel like you don’t love your child, but there is a grief around becoming a mother, because you lose part of yourself that you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever get back. And that’s OK. It’s OK to grieve that — in fact, we should. Because it’s a before and an after.”

Amanda Seyfried, Khloe Kardashian and More Share Breast-Feeding Struggles

The Bridesmaids star shares two sons, Rocco, 10, and Rafael, 8, with her partner and fellow actor, Bobby Cannavale. Now, as she is receiving her well-deserved flowers — and an Oscar nomination — for her recent portrayal of an overwhelmed mom in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

“It was a gift,” Byrne told The Radio National Hour on Wednesday, January 28, of her role as Linda, a mom and therapist who slowly loses her grip on reality as she tries to deal with a sick daughter, an absent husband and a hole in her roof.

GettyImages-2255780085 rose byrne breastfeeding challenges — Rose Byrne Getty Images

“As an actress, I got to just try everything,” she continued. “I got physically stretched, emotionally, you know, technically. It changed me. It’s been the creative highlight of my career, to be honest. I just didn’t want to mess it up.”

She continued of how the role impacted her as a mom, “I’m a perfect parent — I don’t make mistakes, my children are perfect. No, of course you have, there’s like — there’s a before and after. There’s a before and after motherhood, and that’s what I was really so obsessed with when we were tackling this character. Who was she before? Who was she before and why is she reacting like this, because everyone is going to respond differently to a crisis. Everyone is going to respond differently, and who was she before and what is the essence of that person and how can I capture that because it’s not given to us. The film is ahead of the audience.”

See Photos of Celebrity Moms Pumping Breast Milk

Byrne says that, like her character, she has felt the shame that many parents — particularly mothers — feel when they’re trying to find a so-called “balance” in parenting, work and life.

“Linda also can’t really see her child, which can happen in parenting,” Byrne told The Sunday Times. “Because it is relentless, because it is unending, [your children] lose their shape a little bit. And you have to remind yourself, wow, this is a tiny little person. That’s totally an experience I’ve had as a parent and there is shame you feel around that.”

AMA

KOICA strengthens WFP’s efforts to prevent malnutrition in Ethiopia

2026-01-29 MaraviPost

ROME, Italy, 29 January 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of USD5.5 million from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to help prevent malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children in Ethiopia by improving access to nutritious foods, strengthening local food systems, and building community resilience.

The contribution was announced during a ceremony in Addis Ababa on December 16, 2025, where Dr. Dereje Dugma, State Minister of Health, emphasized how the initiative aligns with government efforts to improve nutrition and resilience for food insecure families.

“WFP is grateful to KOICA for this strategic investment, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Health. This is critical to advance Ethiopia’s food and nutrition security and human capital outcomes.” said Zlatan Milišić, WFP’s Country Director in Ethiopia. “This will deliver a triple impact: improved nutrition for vulnerable families, stronger local food systems, and greater household resilience through better access to diverse diets and best agricultural practices.”

The contribution enables WFP to diversify diets and improve nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children by providing food vouchers to 5,000 families, allowing them to buy nutritious fresh foods like eggs, fruits and vegetables. WFP will also strengthen local food systems and build community resilience by providing thousands of food insecure families with agricultural inputs like machines and seeds, connecting them to key agricultural services such as animal health, and training health workers, agricultural agents and market retailers in best agricultural practices.

“This new contribution from KOICA reaffirms the Republic of Korea’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to improve nutrition and resilience, particularly for women, children, and vulnerable households,” said Mr. Taeyoung Kim, KOICA’s country director in Ethiopia. “Sustainable progress in nutrition, health and food systems will be achieved through strong ownership, long-term investment and coordinated multi-sector actions, along with the long-standing multilateral partnership.”

The contribution will be implemented in six woredas across Afar, Sidama and Central Ethiopia regions under the Seqota Declaration, one of Ethiopia’s flagship initiatives to end child undernutrition by 2030.

Malnutrition is a general term that covers both undernutrition and obesity. Undernutrition – which includes conditions like wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age) – is a public health and development challenge in Ethiopia. Poor dietary diversity and limited access to nutritious foods contribute significantly to undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, especially among women of reproductive age and children under five years of age.

“The Ministry of Health provides unwavering support to this important initiative to advance our national nutrition agenda and strengthen resilience in vulnerable communities under the Seqota Declaration,” said Dr. Dugma.

The Republic of Korea has been a major contributor to WFP, providing USD70 million through the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to support humanitarian and development responses in Ethiopia since 2021.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Word Food Programme

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AMA

Families in Sudan pushed to the brink amidst brutal conflict and famine as WFP resources dry up

2026-01-15 MaraviPost

ROME, Italy, 15 January 2026-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-As Sudan marks more than 1,000 days of brutal conflict this month, what has become the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis shows no signs of abating. This comes as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is struggling to keep life-saving emergency operations running.

WFP has reached over 10 million of the most vulnerable women, men, and children in Sudan with emergency food, cash, and nutrition assistance since the resurgence of civil conflict in April 2023. The agency continues to deliver life-saving food aid to an average of four million people every month, including in previously hard-to-reach areas across the Darfur and Kordofan regions, and Khartoum and Al Jazira states.

“These hard-earned gains now risk being reversed,” said Ross Smith, WFP Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “WFP has been forced to reduce rations to the absolute minimum for survival. By the end of March, we will have depleted our food stocks in Sudan. Without immediate additional funding, millions of people will be left without vital food assistance within weeks.“

WFP has teams on-the-ground and the access to scale up and save more lives, funding permitted. Over the last six months, nearly 1.8 million people – in famine or risk of famine areas – have received regular monthly WFP assistance helping to push back hunger in nine locations. Recent breakthroughs, including a joint UN convoy into Kadugli in October, have offered a narrow window to reach families who have been cut off from assistance for months.

After more than two years of fighting, more than 21 million people face acute hunger in Sudan. Famine has been confirmed in parts of the country where months of fighting made access for aid workers largely impossible, and nearly 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

Today, 3.7 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also malnourished. Recent surveys indicate record levels of malnutrition in some locations of North Darfur where up to more than half of the young children are malnourished.

“One thousand days of conflict is one thousand days too many. Every single day that fighting continues, families are falling deeper into hunger and communities are pushed further to the brink,” said Smith. “We can turn the tide and avert famine conditions spreading further, but only if we have the funding to support these most vulnerable families.”

WFP urgently requires USD700 million to continue its operations in Sudan from January to June.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Word Food Program

Note to the editor:
Sudan emergency page here
High-resolution photos available here

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The post Families in Sudan pushed to the brink amidst brutal conflict and famine as WFP resources dry up appeared first on African Media Agency.

Development

Health Ministry to promote breastfeeding in working places

2022-08-02 Maravi Post Reporter

By Dorica Mtenje

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-As the country join the rest of the World in commemorating world breastfeeding week from 1 to 7 August, Ministry of Health is set to allow women to breastfeed in their working places.

Minister of Health, Khumbize Chiponda Kandodo said this on Monday during the official breastfeeding launch week at Chiwamba in Lilongwe.

Khumbize said the week is cerebrated every year with the aim of protecting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding as the natural and best way of feeding infants from birth to 6 months.

She said women in rural areas are making good progress with breastfeeding unlike those living in urban areas as they relay much on baby feeds.

The minister said will mobilise members of parliament to be on forefront in bring their children to the August house for breastfeeding.

She said the ministry will run up activities that will strengthen up breastfeeding week in both hospitals and communities.

Concurring with the Minister, World Health Organization, Country representative, Neema Kimambo said the week is about spreading awareness about importance of breastfeeding and it’s need in the lives of babies and mothers

Kimambo said breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.

She said WHO is currently supporting Malawi in training health workers vto provide skilled support to breastfeeding mothers and help them overcome problems and monitor the growth of children.

In his remarks remarks ,United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF)Representative, Rudolf Schwenk said they are ensuring and providing a supportive environment for mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children during the first six weeks of life.

Schwenk said mothers are suppose to be given conducive environment to breastfeed whether at home ,work places or in their communities.

He said the rise in exclusive breastfeeding rates has been a success because of joint effort from various stakeholders supporting the agenda at national,community and healthy facilities levels

The commemoration was cerebrated under a theme Step up for breastfeeding, Educate and support.

The Maravi Post