The intervention focuses on exclusive breastfeeding by promoting behavioural change of some harmful cultural practices and beliefs such as discarding colostrums, giving of prelacteral feeds and delay in initiation of breast feeding.
The intervention focuses on exclusive breastfeeding by promoting behavioural change of some harmful cultural practices and beliefs such as discarding colostrums, giving of prelacteral feeds and delay in initiation of breastfeeding.72 peer counselors, locally selected by traditional leaders were trained to implement this intervention in rural communities of Mchinji district, Malawi. In Malawi breastfeeding has always been there, but rarely has exclusive breastfeeding been practiced due to cultural beliefs.These counsellors also promote safe motherhood key care practices; identification of danger signs for the pregnant woman or postnatal mother and appropriate; birth preparedness, skilled birth attendance, family planning and timely referral for health care. A key component of the intervention is that it is closely integrated with the District Health Office in Mchinji. The counsellors are supervised by government Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), for sustainability. MethodsThe role of the counselors is to identify pregnant women in their communities and make home visits at five key points:
- during pregnancy and after birth
- once in the third trimester
- the first week after birth (within the first three days)
- one month after birth; three months after birth
- five months after birth.
- antenatal
- facility deliveries,
- postnatal
- family planning
- under five clinics
- PMTCT uptake has also increased