BREASTFEEDING

Exclusive breastfeeding of infants recommended for the first six months of

their lives and breastfeeding with complementary foods thereafter.
Breastfeeding has many physical and psychological benefits for children
and mother as well as economic benefits for families and societies.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding
To Infants
Provides a nutritional complete food for the young infant.
Strengthens the infants immune system, preventing many
infections.
Safely rehydrates and provides essential nutrients to a sick
child, especially to those suffering from diarrheal diseases.
Reduces the infants exposure to infection.
To Mother
Reduces a womans risk of excessive blood loss after birth.
Provides a natural methods of delaying pregnancies.
Reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancers and
osteoporosis.
To Household and the Community
Conserve funds that otherwise would be spent on breast milk
substitute, supplies and fuel to prepare them.
Saves medical cost to families and government by preventing
illnesses and by providing immediate postpartum and
contraception.
HILOT TRAINING
All mothers and children need care and attention especially during
crucial stages in their lives. Several types of health providers give various
services, but compared to all others, the public health nurses and midwives
are the ones mother and children see most often. Midwives are the most
accessible professional health care provider. However, midwives are not
always there all the time. Midwives must therefore multiply knowledge,
attitudes and practices that promote good health. Traditional birth
attendants (TBAs) or hilots extend various health services to the
community levels.

Health continue to exist because they continue to fulfill services and

fill-in gaps in health services, be these geographical (as in far flung areas):
financial ( professional obstetrical care may be unaffordable): or cultural
(some mothers still prefer the hilots for their additional support in household
chores).
Midwives who conduct good and effective hilot training courses
(using Hilot Training Manual) not only establish themselves as their trainer
in the community, but also as dependable allies of the communities they
serve.

EXPANDED PROGRAM ON IMMUNIZATION

The Expanded Program on Immunization was launched in July 1976
by the Department of Health in cooperation with the World Health
Organization and the UNICEF.
The original objective was to reduce the morbidity and mortality
among infants and children caused by the six childhood immunizable
diseases.
Principles
The program is based on epidemiological situation; schedules are
drawn on the basis of the occurrence and characteristic
epidemiological features of the disease.
The whole community rather than just the individual is to be
protected, thus mass approach is utilized.
Immunization is a basic health service and such it is integrated in to
the health services being provided for by the Rural Health Unit.