Success Stories from Our Members in the field

Moms Counseled on Breast-Feeding; Babies' Health Improved Dramatically, AED

Ten percent of newborns in Madagascar die before their first birthday, many as a result of poor breast-feeding practices that lead to malnutrition and gastrointestinal problems. While studies have shown that breast milk is the best nutritional source for babies younger than six months, one half of new mothers in Madagascar feed their babies other fluids or foods.

Since 2000, the Academy for Educational Development, an American nonprofit group, has mobilized community groups to teach better approaches for breast-feeding, infant nutrition and reproductive health. The result has been a significant improvement in the overall health of babies in Madagascar.

During the first year of the AED program, which covered a region of Madagascar that included more than 6 million people, the number of mothers feeding their children only breast milk rose from 45 to 68 percent. Starting breastfeeding the first hour after birth -- another recommended practice -- increased from 34 percent to 73 percent.

Before the program started, 15 percent of infants younger than six months suffered from diarrhea, a serious health risk to babies in developing countries. Two years after AED began counseling on the benefits of breast-feeding, the number of babies suffering from diarrhea had been slashed to only 3 percent.

Working in partnership with government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and the management firm John Snow, Inc., AED uses the mass media and community-based activities to reach mothers in Madagascar.

Giving mothers the tools to take better care of their babies does more than create a stronger, healthier society in Madagascar. It builds bonds of friendship and cooperation with America that contribute to a safer, more peaceful world.