Introduction
Healthcare policies are essential guidelines, actions, and changes that must be followed to achieve specific healthcare goals. In other words, the health care system, including patients and providers, is shaped by health policy. Healthcare policies could be divided into various categories, such as newborn health, oral health, and chemical safety. The effectiveness of healthcare policies is directly impacted by the role of nurses and nurse practitioners. One of the healthcare policies directed by WHO includes promoting breastfeeding as a way for nurses to facilitate the health of children, infants, and mothers. The decision is supported by the ICN (2013) as it protects against chronic diseases and lowers the risk of acute infections such as pneumonia, diarrhea, Haemophilus, ear infections, influenza, and meningitis infections. The organization is concerned with the need to invest in midwives and nurses to improve breastfeeding rates substantially. This would allow for a decrease the morbidity among mothers and children.
Discussion
Healthcare in rural and urban areas in emerging societies and in developed nations has been impacted by globalization in the twenty-first century. Globalization altered conventional nursing techniques and, through collective efforts, emphasized the importance of breastfeeding (Webber & Serowoky, 2017). According to WHO (2021), it is advised for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for six months and to supplement with food for up to 24 months for improved health outcomes. Global scaling of breastfeeding might possibly rescue more than 800,000 children each year who are five years old or younger because breast milk includes special nutritional, immunological, and hormonal components that support baby growth and well-being (WHO & UNICEF, 2021). Thus, substantially strengthening the importance of adherence to this policy concerning newborn health.
Key stakeholders in the policy implementation are healthcare-providing facilities (hospitals), health management and evaluation institutions (Ministry of Health), and patients (mothers and their offspring). The responsibility of family nursing practitioners in relation to these stakeholders is dependent on the effective care they provide. The responsibility towards hospitals is the provision of effective and virtue-driven holistic care to uphold the mission, goals, and vision of the institution. Key responsibility towards patients is the expansion of awareness and provision of care to ensure lasting results to the health practices of patients and resolve current challenges. In relation to the Ministry of Health, the key responsibility would be upholding licensed ethical practices with the promotion of national health policy goals. The promotion and administration of breastfeeding are within the purview of family nurse practitioners (FNPs). Their care includes safeguarding against harmful procedures that prevent breastfeeding, such as taking newborns away from their mothers or needlessly giving them baby formula.
There are two separate organizations that are interested in the promotion of newborn health, such as WHO and USAID. The two play a crucial role in the implementation and promotion of breastfeeding policies globally. Around 44% of newborn babies start breastfeeding in the first hour after delivery worldwide. Up until age 6, 40% of infants are given breast milk in the world (Linn & Rocha, 2018). The differences in breastfeeding are apparent between African and American countries. Compared to only 6% of the nations in the Americas, 20% of the countries in Africa have an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 60% (Linn & Rocha, 2018). International donors and national governments launched massive promotional campaigns to enhance and preserve the traditional frequency of BF in Africa and to reverse the declining rates of BF in the Americas.
WHO has played a significant role in the development of priorities to address the issue. The priorities include increasing funding for breastfeeding programs, banning the promotion of breast milk substitutes, and providing essential healthcare services. In addition, fostering community support for BF, and putting in place monitoring systems to evaluate program effectiveness were organized. At the same time, USAID funded a major initiative in Bolivia called Breastfeeding for Child Survival Strategy (Linn & Rocha, 2018). The strategy efforts integrated BF into initiatives for the prevention of diarrheal illness, vaccination, better nutrition, child spacing, prenatal care, health care, funding, and food assistance.
The interdisciplinary approach to the issue of breastfeeding and newborn health, in general, is mandatory for the increase in efficacy. In order to address maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, it is essential to comprehend the linkages between a mother’s health and that of her newborn. The majority of mother and baby fatalities may be avoided and happen during pregnancy, labor, or the first few weeks after delivery. During these crucial times, it is imperative to make sure that moms and newborns receive prompt, high-quality care.
There are three implications of the policy that may affect planetary healthcare. Firstly, full integration of critical competencies into pre-service training and continuing education (WHO & UNICEF, 2021). Secondly, funding and development of comprehensive specialized training for midwives and nurses to enable them to address complex breastfeeding situations and ensure that these skilled professionals are available to families as needed (WHO & UNICEF, 2021). Thirdly, establish and enforce legislation to protect breastfeeding in training and work environments by refusing sponsorship from companies that market foods for infants and young children (WHO & UNICEF, 2021). This would change the nurses’ and organizational approaches to the provision of newborn healthcare.
Conclusion
In conclusion, WHO defines specific international policies that address various issues within the healthcare systems globally. One such issue is breastfeeding, which concerns newborn health. The organization emphasizes the necessity to promote breastfeeding awareness and funding. Consequently, three implications concern the pre-service training of nurses, their funding, and the ban on the promotion of infant food substitutions. WHO and USAID are two of the primary institutions interested in the promotion of planetary policies concerning newborn health.
References
ICN. (2013). Breastfeeding. ICN. Web.
Linn, J. G., & Rocha Kadri, P. M. (2018). Globalization and Breastfeeding: Regional Differences in Developing Areas. International Journal of Childbirth Education, 33(4).
Webber, E., & Serowoky, M. (2017). Breastfeeding curricular content of family nurse practitioner programs. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 31(2), 189–195. Web.
World Health Organization & United Nations Children’s Fund (‎UNICEF)‎. (‎2021)‎. The role of midwives and nurses in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding: Advocacy brief. World Health Organization. Web.