IBFAN Africa’s primary goal is to address infant feeding problems in a wholistic approach and target efforts at increasing popular support for infant feeding at all levels, with a principal focus on the grassroots level. IBFAN Africa’s plans and strategies are aimed at:

  • Promoting optimum feeding practices for infants i.e. exclusive breastfeeding for six months and this continued to two years and beyond; with timely, safe and nutritious complementary locally available foods from six months; and proper use of artificial feeding where necessary.
  • Reduction of Mother to Child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding.
  • Increased awareness of the relevant World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolutions, appropriate infant and young child feeding practices and child nutrition amongst policy makers, health workers, mothers, the general population and NGOs working with infants, young children and their families.
  • Advocacy for implementation of the WHA Resolutions on infant and young child nutrition by national governments through supportive policies and plans in all countries.
  • Monitoring compliance of the baby milk companies to the WHA Resolutions on the marketing and distribution requirements for breastfeeding supplements.
  • Improving maternal nutrition.
  • Strengthening and sustaining the Network.


Major Programme Areas

  1. Protection, promotion and support of exclusive breastfeeding to six months for infants who can breastfeed and optimal infant feeding practices for all infants.
  2. Increasing community support for pregnant and lactating mothers in infant and maternal nutrition. This includes the increased involvement of Youth and Men’s Groups. Young IBFANer’s
    Male Support
  3. Reduction of Mother to Child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding by strengthening the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and adequate counselling on feeding options.
  4. Improving infant and maternal nutrition in emergencies.
  5. Enhancing the rights of women through the implementation of supportive conventions, laws and policies such as the International Labour (ILO) Convention on Maternity Protection for working women and the Convention of the rights of the Child (CRC).
  6. Enforcing corporate accountability in globalization by improving compliance of companies to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and the reflection of this in the Codex Alimentariud Standards.
  7. Increasing transparency, in sponsorship and monitoring conflict of interest in professional and international organisations.

Countries served by IBFAN Africa

Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guine Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.


Read more about each one of our programmes: