National Breastfeeding Days: A United Front for a Common Goal
On November 7 and 8, the City of Sciences hosted the 6th edition of the National Breastfeeding Days (JNA), organized by the HANEN Association. Healthcare professionals, researchers, institutional representatives, civil society representatives, parents, and medical students came together to address a alarming issue: with an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 17.8% at 6 months (MICS 2023), Tunisia is far below the global average (48%) and far from the WHO's 2025 objective (50%).
A United Front: When the Associative Sector Takes Action
The 2025 edition marked a historic turning point with the formation of an unprecedented associative coalition. Around HANEN, the Tunisian Association of Neonatal Medicine (ATMN), the Tunisian Association of Midwives (ATSF), the National Tunisian Association of Speech Therapists (ANTO), psychiatric and child psychiatric associations, Associa-Med, the Patient Salon, and the Tunisian Association of Ergotherapy united their complementary expertise to advocate for a common cause.
This national synergy was enriched by an international strategic dimension: the physical participation of certified IBCLC consultants from France (Céline Guerrand, Lynda Pourchet) and remote interventions by specialists from the United Arab Emirates (Dr. Evelyne Ruff) and Morocco (Dr. Amina Barakat) allowed for particularly fruitful South-South and North-South exchanges, strengthening the regional anchoring of this public health issue.
A Demanding Scientific Program at the Service of a Goal: Taking Action
The JNA 2025 articulated advocacy, science, and testimony:
- Public health and institutional commitment: The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to breastfeeding as a future challenge, while round tables highlighted the strategic role of gynecologists-obstetricians and midwives in the success of perinatal support, which should begin during the prenatal period.
- The Ministry of Social Affairs: through the participation of the Institute of Health and Occupational Safety - ISST
- Cross-expertise: From prenatal consultation to the challenges of prematurity, from oral dysfunctions to sleep apnea, from psychological benefits to ecological impact, the program covered the entire scientific and practical spectrum of breastfeeding.
- International benchmark: Feedback on the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (IHAB) in Morocco and the United Arab Emirates provided concrete adaptation paths for the Tunisian context.
- Giving a voice to those most concerned: Parents and medical students enriched the debates, recalling the importance of a collective and inclusive approach.
Key Messages to Remember
- Breastfeeding is not just a women's issue: it's a public health challenge that requires systemic mobilization
- Protection against the aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes must be strengthened
- The associative collective now constitutes a structured proposal force to support public policies
- 17.8% is not a fatality but a call to collective and structured action
According to the press release.
