Health Ministry strengthens breastfeeding efforts, awards Columbia Asia Hospital BFHI Gold Plaque
Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said MOH had implemented various strategies to encourage breastfeeding, including continuous training programmes and collaborations with private healthcare providers such as Columbia Asia Hospital.
PETALING JAYA - The Health Ministry (MOH) has reinforced its commitment to promoting breastfeeding and improving maternal and neonatal healthcare services through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said MOH had implemented various strategies to encourage breastfeeding, including continuous training programmes and collaborations with private healthcare providers such as Columbia Asia Hospital.
“To be recognised as a Baby-Friendly Hospital, hospitals must adhere to 10 global criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), known as the ‘10 Steps + 4 Key Aspects Towards Successful Breastfeeding,’” he said during the BFHI Gold Plaque Presentation Ceremony at Columbia Asia Hospital-Petaling Jaya today.
He reaffirmed MOH’s commitment to advancing the breastfeeding agenda nationwide in line with Malaysia’s National Nutrition Policy, which aimed to reduce the prevalence of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases and support the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the event, the National Lactation Centre, under MOH, awarded Columbia Asia Hospital - Petaling Jaya (CAH-PJ) the BFHI Gold Plaque in recognition of its commitment to breastfeeding excellence.
Lukanisman presented the plaque to Columbia Asia Hospital’s CEO and General Manager Ng Wai Kit.
“We are truly honoured by this award. Breastfeeding is undoubtedly the best and should be the exclusive source of nutrition for newborns.
"At CAH-PJ, we uphold Malaysia’s National Breastfeeding Policy by ensuring all relevant staff are well-trained in executing it," he said.
Also present at the event were Asia One Healthcare Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Dr Chan Boon Kheng, MOH Nutrition Division Director Rusidah Selamat and National Lactation Centre Head Dr Siti Maisarah Ahmad.
The BFHI was launched in 1991 by WHO and UNICEF to promote breastfeeding in healthcare settings.
To achieve BFHI accreditation, a hospital must demonstrate an exclusive breastfeeding rate of at least 75 per cent among postpartum mothers.
CAH-PJ met these standards by ensuring pregnant women were informed about breastfeeding benefits before delivery, encouraging mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first 30 minutes after birth, and facilitating immediate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby for at least an hour.
Additionally, CAH-PJ staff provide guidance on breastfeeding techniques and maintaining milk supply, ensure newborns receive only breast milk unless medically advised otherwise, practice the ‘rooming-in’ concept where mothers and babies stay together and discourage the use of artificial pacifiers or dummies for breastfeeding infants.
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