Pr. Leopoldo Robellato exchanges with FFF Cameroon

The President of the International NGO, Incontro FraI Popoli of Cittadella, Italy, Professor Leopoldo Robellato, held a working session with the Programmes Manager of the Fine Forest Foundation – Cameroon, James Achanyi-Fontem, at the Missions Procure General of Akwa-Douala on May 22.
FFF Cameroon Programmes Manager was accompanied by Trustee Anna Nven, one of the Commissioners of account of the organisation, to present the charity's activities coordinated from its headquarters at Nchou Njeh in Lebialem Division of the south west region of Cameroon.
In effect, Professor Leopoldo Robellato was delegated by Father Silvio Turrazzi, the founder of Associazione Muungano in Parma, Italy to investigate on the visibility of the operations of Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon by tracing its history, activities undertaken, on-going projects, management policies, community projects orientation, beneficiary target groups, impact and community involvement approaches.
The programmes manager told Professor Leopoldo Robellato that Fine Forest Foundation is a national NGO covering the whole territory of Cameroon with Lebialem Division being the pilot site of its activities due to the assert in Menji for expansion and rural communities outreach. He added that FFF Cameroon's head quarters at Nchou Njeh has plans to house a Galenic Laboratory, while the land assert located in Menji, Nveh, Ncheh Mbin, Njeh, Barombikang, Mbalangi and Bombe is reserved for planting medicinal plants that would be transformed into pharmaceuticals in the future.
The envoy of Father Silvio Turrazzi asked how large the FFF organisation is and if it had legal frame documents. The list of the board of trustees and the legal frame work documents were presented. He asked about the specialist who was going to assist in setting up the galenic laboratory project and was informed that Dr. Ajuah Nkohkwo, who lived in Italy for several years working on pharmaceutical in puts and out puts was champion of the initiative, though the community populations were involved in the production of rural materials like medicinal plants, planting and harvesting before transformation.
The project will associate the traditional healers in the collection and transformation of special species. When questioned on what the project is expected to cost, James Achanyi-Fontem, guided Professor Leopoldo Robellato on project strategy, cost and time frame already established covering the period from 2009 - 2012.
On collaboration with the government, FFF Cameroon presented documents and pictures of realizations, training and community awareness campaigns undertaken during Commonwealth professional internships in London and Cameroon with the health library set up within the Azi District Hospital to serve staff and the public for information and consultation purposes.
Concerning social inclusion and integration of orphaned children, Prof. Leopoldo Robellato, was told that the best gift children in Africa need is education, and this explains why FFF Cameroon assists in paying school fees of under-advantaged children in poor families and orphaned children. The donation of multi-purpose grinning mills to well structured women’s organisations for empowering them economically was highlighted as an on-going annual initiative.
The girl-children not capable of continuing education for one reason or the other are introduced into micro-enterprise learning activities, which lead them to self-employment after training as apprentices. The above presentation ended with a small album of FFF cameroon past activities explaining vibrant impact activities presented during the working session.
Who is Prof. Leopoldo Robellato ?
Prof. Leopoldo Robellato is a biologist and retired University lecturer of Bologne,Italy. He stopped lecturing four years ago to start solidarity and humanitarian work as new occupation through the Italian NGO “Incontro Fra I Popoli” chaired by him. He had worked in Yagoua, north region of Cameroon for four years from 1983 before moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of the world.
His international humanitarian organisation operates in partnership with the European Union and he is currently supervising projects in Cameroon (Bafia, Mbouda & Ngaoundere), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Niger, Nepal, Peru, Romania and Sri Lanka.
The president of “Incontro Fra I Popoli” said his organisation is involved in the promotion of international solidarity through cooperation and reciprocity based on partnership. Within the partnership, emphasis is put on the sharing of experiences of the same mission with the civil society organisations working or engaged in development programmes and projects with their own human and technical resources.
According to Professor Leopoldo Robellato, both parties assist mutually, cooperate at the same level, receive and give advice and together a new world is built. The convergence through partnership starts with the objective of projects, the elaboration of a joint strategy, sharing of responsibilities, the consolidation of reciprocity links and both parties consider themselves as agents of development at the level of their respective populations.
With this approach, there is no limit to partnership. The president of “Incontro Fra I Popoli” said, that his organisation does not accept any partnership that aims at the execution of a project by an individual. To get involved, his organisation starts with new links of partnership and sharing of competence and responsibility. This approachhe added, is linked to the start of new collaboration.
At the end of the session, Professor Leopoldo Robellato, observed that the health development package of FFF Cameroon presented at the Procure General of Akwa-Douala could be estimated to cost a total of 100.000 Euros. He acknowledges that Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon is considered by him as a stable and well structured civil society organisation with visible development impact.
He explained that before leaving Italy, he intended to travel to Lebialem to inspect the project site at Nchou Njeh, but his very busy schedule and change in flight itinerary modified his intention. He lauded the efforts and the fact that a meeting took place for the presentation especially as the impact of health initiatives realized and planned for the future were made visible.
Professor Leopoldo Robellato can be contacted through the following address: Incontro Fra I Popoli, via Pezze, 16 – 35013 Cittadella(PD), Italia Tel/fax: 0039 049 597 53 38 Cell: 335 836 7012 Email:info@incontrofraipopoli.it

Youth HIV Education In Cameroon Colleges

HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
By James Achanyi-Fontem, Cameroon Link
Yvonne Fonduh Bekeny has published her findings on HIV/AIDS education in secondary schools in Cameroon within the frame work of a study of Government Bilingual High Schools in the capital city of Yaoundé. Yvonne is a master’s degree in development and international cooperation graduate of the UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ, (Department of Education Sciences) Finland.
The study describes secondary school students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to HIV/AIDS and compares these aspects in two Government Bilingual High Schools in Yaoundé-Cameroon. One school ran a formal HIV/AIDS education programme and the other did not. Factors influencing students’ attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and their trusted sources of HIV/AIDS knowledge were examined.
618 students participated in the survey with ages ranged from 10 to 25 and the average age was 15. The data was collected in November 2008 and findings indicated that students in the two schools are quite knowledgeable about modes of HIV prevention and transmission, while more students in the intervention school are conversant with facts.
There were no differences in attitudes towards PLHIV observed in both schools. Students of the intervention school reported more positive attitudes towards condoms than those of the no-intervention school. Girls demonstrated more discrimination towards PLHIV than boys and religion has an impact on attitudes toward PLHIV.
Students trusted doctors/nurses, parents and teachers as important sources of HIV/AIDS knowledge. The research showed that HIV/AIDS interventions actually impact moderate behaviour changes, but there is weak correlation between HIV/AIDS education and attitudes towards PLHIV.
This calls for vigorous input into the formal HIV/AIDS intervention, targeting specific behavioural aspects and perhaps qualitative approaches to understanding the drivers of students’ attitudes. Yvonne Fonduh Bekeny suggests that parents should be more involved in the process of HIV/AIDS education as well.
Genesis
Since its discovery, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has spread more rapidly than most diseases in recent history, having social-cultural, economical and moral repercussions on individuals, families, communities and threatening foundations of entire societies. Over the years, the link between HIV/AIDS and impoverishment has grown and even stronger as the disease is infecting and affecting the younger generation who are the productive labour force of every economy. An estimated 11.8 million young people aged 15–24 are living with HIV/AIDS, and half of all new infections, over 6,000 daily, are occurring among them (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, 2003).
Africa is still the highest hit region with 63% of global infections and the highest prevalence among the age group 15-49 (UNAIDS, 2003). The international community has come to acknowledge that HIV/AIDS is not only a health problem. It is a developmental disaster of alarming proportions which will affect development goals at the human, financial and material levels.
In Cameroon, the prevalence has generally been stagnating and the WHO (2005) observes that young people in Cameroon are highly affected. Indeed, a third of Cameroonians infected are 15-29 years of age. This age group constitutes all Cameroonians who are in secondary school, high school, University, vocational schools, professional schools and those in active service. Cameroon has a population of about 18,175.000 million, (WHO Cameroon, 2009).
According to UNAIDS (2008), HIV adult prevalence stands at 5,5%. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) is 543,295. The number of infections for those aged 15-24 years is 3,2%, 44.813 children aged 0-14 are living with HIV and children orphaned by AIDS related diseases amount to 305,000. Deaths related to AIDS infections are 43,632.
In their article, Mbanya, Martyn & Paul (2008) state that the socio-economic impact of the disease is profound with growing numbers of sectors being affected, and high hospital bed occupancy rampant. They add that this results in overstretched medical personnel and extra burden to the health and education sectors where school teachers are reported to be unproductive
on several counts and morbidity increasing from opportunistic infections. This of course, poses a major challenge to the socio-economic development of the country considering the fact that the age group below 15 makes up about 42% of the entire population (Population Reference Bureau, 2009).
Although the government of Cameroon has been quite committed in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially in the domain of providing Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs and care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS, it has been observed that prevalence among the 15-24 years old is staggering, and they still remain the highest risk group in Cameroon.
Children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are more likely to drop out of school at some point in time. The entire school systems are themselves affected by HIV/AIDS, 95% of HIV positive teachers have difficulties with punctuality in school and 73% of them affirm that they have to stop lessons from time to time when they are not physically fit. Up to 67% of students living with HIV face similar problems. (UNESCO Cameroon, 2007). These circumstances make it difficult for students to have a decent education.
The Paranoid situation created by this pandemic is putting the entire educational systems and the society at large under pressure. The education system must be supported through prevention, for education is the major driver of economic and social development. Indeed, countries education sectors have a strong potential to make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS (Bundy 2002). Prevention and coping strategies can only be ensured through education for it is a reality that with the present state of scientific knowledge and development, the only protection available to society is through education (Kelly, 2004).
The youth were the focus of this study because they are the future driving force of the economy and their well being will improve every aspect of the nation’s development, including demographic aspects such as life expectancy, which is currently at 50 years (UNDP, 2008). During my years as a teacher, I realized that most students infected or orphaned by AIDS related causes, could not afford school requirements and they were also under a lot of psychological pressure as a result of stigma and discrimination. Consequently, some students who were infected and affected were perpetual absentees because of the social effects, exclusion, anxieties and impoverishment perpetrated by the AIDS epidemic.
These experiences have moved me to research on HIV/AIDS education and its relevance to secondary school students as one means to disenable the vicious cycle of trauma, impoverishment and disease stimulated by HIV/AIDS. This is an attempt to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the students in particular and on the educational system in general. It is also important because
halting the spread of HIV is not only a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in itself, but a prerequisite for reaching other MDGs (UNESCO, 2006). Thus, if Cameroon is to achieve Education for All (EFA) and other MDGs by 2015, education at this stage must incorporate# aspects of HIV/AIDS. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) has observed that education
can have a dramatic effect on the health of a nation. Girls and boys who complete primary school are 50% less likely to be infected with HIV, implying that 7 million cases of HIV could be prevented in a decade by the achievement of EFA (GCE, 2007).
The UNAIDS Cameroon (2008) country report concludes that there is less emphasis on national prevention programmes and much attention is focused on treatment and care of PLHIV. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPE) indicates that HIV/AIDS is still a problem in Cameroon especially for young women and girls. They further that stigma and discrimination is a distinct problem in Cameroon (IPPF, 2007). This issue is emphasized by Njechu (2008) who reports that the non-collection of HIV results after screening has been blamed for the increase in HIV incidences in Cameroon. His report was based on information from the Yaoundé based Institute of Behavioural Research (IRESCO) who warned that only 7% of young people aged 15-24 who went for voluntary testing collected their results.
The research revealed that many who did the screening test and failed to collect their results either feared stigmatization or imminent death if they were HIV positive. The research also stated that only a few Cameroonians within this age group go in for voluntary testing.
For more information, contact researcher by email: bekeny@yahoo.fr

Breastfeeding Summit 2009

1st Annual Summit on Breastfeeding in June 2009 is 25th Anniversary of Surgeon General’s Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation
By Irene Rayman
Academy of Breastfeeding
Experts in maternal and infant health and health policy leaders from the Obama Administration in the United States of America will present timely information and recommendations for new policy initiatives to support a national breastfeeding agenda at the 1st Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, to take place June 11-12, in Washington, D.C. The Summit, "First Food: The Essential Role of Breastfeeding," is being presented by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and its official peer-reviewed journal, Breastfeeding Medicine, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. ( www.liebertpub.com/bfm) and supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Summit marks the 25th anniversary of the Surgeon General's Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, hosted in June 1984 for the first time by then Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD, and chaired by Ruth Lawrence, MD, currently Editor-in-Chief of Breastfeeding Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at the Unversity of Rochester School of Medicine, who will once again both have central roles in this gathering of eminent researchers, clinicians, and key policymakers.
Participants will focus on the development of health policy solutions for improving breastfeeding rates, removing barriers to breastfeeding, and eliminating health disparities by better supporting the health needs of underserved mothers and their vulnerable children. Breastfeeding represents a cost-effective, easily accessible, low-tech solution to reducing infant mortality rates-the U.S. ranks 29th in the world-decreasing morbidity, and improving both immediate and long-term health issues for mothers and their young children.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (www.bfmed.org) is a global organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding through education, research, and advocacy. It promotes the development and dissemination of clinical practice guidelines.
Breastfeeding Medicine is an authoritative, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal published quarterly. The Journal publishes original scientific articles, reviews, and case studies on a broad spectrum of topics in lactation medicine. It presents evidence-based research advances and explores the immediate and long-term outcomes of breastfeeding, including the epidemiologic, physiologic, and psychological benefits of breastfeeding.
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., (www.liebertpub.com) is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Journal of Women's Health, Journal of Gynecologic Surgery, and Pediatric Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 60 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at www.liebertpub.com
New Rochelle, NY, April 27, 2009

HIV-related Stigma Research With Nursing Students

HIV Related Stigma Survey Among Nursing Students In Cameroon Takes Off
James Achanyi-Fontem,
Cameroon Link
Dr. Neal Rosenburg of Goldfarb School of Nursing, Barnes Jewish College and Pr. Donna Taliaferro of the Washington University at St. Louis, USA started working in Douala, Cameroon on March 1, 2009 on a planned HIV-related stigma survey among nursing students in Cameroon.
During the academic working visit, Dr. Neal Rosenburg and Pr. Donna Taliaferro are visiting nursing colleges in Douala, Nkongsamba, Buea and Limbe to collect data on stigma among nursing students. The data will be analyzed and compared with a similar operation at the Washington University at St. Louis. An investigation on how to ameliorate on the care for HIV orphans will be conducted with the objective of encouraging nursing students in the USA to work out strategies for supporting orphans in Cameroon.
The visiting medical professionals gave a conference at the Complexe Universitaire EFPSA, INSAM, ISSAS at Ndokoti, Douala on Friday, March 6, 2009 and audiences were accorded leaders of associations in Cameroon working for the improvement of the well being of HIV orphans the audiences aim at the exchange of experiences for research of areas of capacity building care delivery and support tothe vulnerable childred of Cameroon. The activities were conducted with the technical support of the University of Buea and Cameroon Link Human Assistance Programme in Douala.
Objectives:
1. Identify different aspects of experiences among culturally diverse populations of HIV positive individuals.
2. Understand circumstances affecting culturally appropriate care for HIV positive clients.
3. Analyze the impact of perceptions among nursing students on global healthcare issues surrounding HIV nursing.
4. Describe the impact of associated stigma relating to nurses caring for HIV positive populations.
5. Explain the intention to deliver quality patient care to HIV positive clients.
Stigma as a concept is associated with various societal and personal attributes and attitudes. The deficit of a clearly accepted definition contributes to the prblematic nature of measuring the impact and outcomes of stigma in the research setting. A repetitive element in the definition of stigma is that of a mark, or a well defined stain on or associated with an individual. This proposes a stain on the individual’s character which may transcend to the interpersonal and societal levels. However, the common usages of the definition exclude a redundant usage of the term in the context of behavior, culture, and physical attributes that are also associated with stigma.
Historically, the Greeks utilized the term stigma in the context of a physical blemish designated to identify something morally curious about a member of society. In the Greek culture, the identifiable mark was cut or burned into the physical body. This form of representation clearly identified a marked individual within a particular societal text (Goffman, 1963). The dominant or unmarked members of society could easily differentiate themselves by being free from the mark or stain which suggested a violation of a code or a representation of societal status such as a slave or a criminal. Goffman (1963) has explained stigma in terms of a tainted or discounted individual. The negative connotations of these attributes equate to the differences between what society presumes in terms of common or acceptable characteristics of a person. The problematic nature of this definition arises as the attribute itself is not discrediting, rather it is the variance between the individual and the societal influence.
The contemporary usage of this concept relies heavily on the original meaning; however, today the individual’s stigmatizing identifier may indeed be invisible to the rest of society, such as with the case of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According Goffman (1963), three abundantly different types of stigma exist. The first, he referred as abominations of the body that account for physical defects identified to an individual.
Next, Dr. Neal Rosenburg described the blemishes of individual character. These traits are possessed by weak individuals as well as individuals with unnatural desires. Lastly, he proposed tribal stigma. This category of individuals share unique characteristics acquired via lineage such as race, ethnicity, and religion. Stigma is present throughout all societies. The nature and harm of stigma are uniform; however, the degree and circumstances of stigma vary among societies and cultural groups. Regardless of the context, the concept of stigma produces destructive effects. Blame, shame, fear, personal injury, violence, and death account for potential effects of stigma. The potential for both physical and emotional damage to the individual underscores the importance of this concept. In addition, the efforts of changing the defining attitudes of stigma pose unique challenges. Many attitudes attached to contemporary stigma are deeply engrained in the societal norms, the familial values, and the cultural mores of an individual. The changing tapestry of the American society requires a shift in attention to that of multiculturism. Regarding multi-cultural groups, HIV, and stigma, Burrage & Rocchiociolli (2003) reported that the understanding of multiculturism and stigma within the context of interventions accessible to the various groups of people infected with HIV is paramount.
The act of discrimination against an individual or group discerned to be deviant, unacceptable, or inferior is enacted stigma (Scambler & Hopkins, 1986). The critical attribute of enacted stigma is prejudice. Prejudice is defined as “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience” (Concise Oxford Dictionary, 2006, p. 697). An essential aspect of the phenomenon of prejudice includes a social orientation towards whole groups of people and/or towards individuals because of their association is a member of a particular group (Brown, 1995).
Methods for measuring this concept are available but restrictive. The outcomes of stigma are merely identified, questionnaires offer a rank-order aspect of the degree of certain pieces of stigma within select populations, and finally a limited number of studies have been published to determine other components or constructs involved with this complex concept. A workable instrument with proven reliability and validity would strengthen the studies on stigma as well as properly place this concept in the forefront of attention with an instrument that can be utilized across various populations and translated into many languages to gauge the scope and impact of stigma among nursing students.
Study Design
This cross sectional research design will be implemented among nursing students at the University of Douala, the University of Dschang in Cameroon, West Africa and Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes Jewish College in St. Louis, MO, USA. Nursing students enrolled in the eighth semester (last semester of nursing clinicals) will be sampled by convenience method. The nursing students will complete the HASI-NS (HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument – Nursing Students). This researcher modified instrument is intended as a pilot implementation as it appears to be unused within the student nursing population. This instrument is a modified version on the HASI-N (HIV/AIDS Stigma Instrument – Nurse) developed Uys, Holzemer, Chirwa, Dlamini, Greeff, Kohi, et al. with supported funds from the NIH and the Fogarty International Center. This instrument utilizes 20 items concerning behaviors, communication, and perceptions addressed to
nursing students in the clinical setting. The data will be cleaned, coded and analyzed using SPSS v.16. The results of this study will acknowledge the perceptions of Cameroonian and American nursing students who provide patient care or will be faced with delivering patient care to the growing population of diverse HIV positive patients. The results of this study will be disseminated at national conferences as well as provide the framework for manuscript submission to peer-reviewed journals. Most notably, the data from this pilot study will begin the rigorous process of establishing reliability and validity within new instrument development with the intent to expand to larger studies gauging HIV related stigma among nursing students across both continents.
Nurses are an integral part of the global health care picture as we rapidly move into an era of multi-cultures, multi-languages, and multiple illnesses that reinforce the acts of stigma. Most notably, it is important to remember that nurses are not excluded from harboring and delivering the devastating acts of stigma. In increase in awareness and education will serve as the weapons of choice for nurses of the twenty-first century to combat the destructive forces of stigmatization. As nurse researchers, the nursing science will accelerate the process via methods devoted to exploring strategies at the intervention levels with an ultimate outcome of diminishing current levels of stigma while greatly ameliorating the quality of delivered nursing care when working with marginalized groups facing the many faces of stigma
Timeline
April – June, 2009: data management/analyze data in St. Louis, MO, USA.
June – August, 2009: dissemination of study findings.
References
Brown, R. (1995). Prejudice: Its social psychology. Oxford: Blackwell.
Burrage, J., & Rocchiociolli, J. (2003). HIV related stigma: Implications for multicultural nursing. Journal of Multicultural Nursing and Health, 9(1), 13-17.
Concise Oxford American dictionary, (2006). New York: Oxford Press.
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Scambler, G., & Hopkins, A. (1986). Being epileptic: Coming to terms with stigma. Sociology of Health and Illness, 8, 26-43.

Breastfeeding Guidelines

Breastfeeding Guidelines Now Available on US Gov’t Website
By Karla Shepard Rubinger,
Executive Director, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine,
Tel:(914) 740-2100, ext. 2153,
Email: abm@bfmed.org
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s (ABM) clinical protocols for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants are now available for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals on the US National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) website.
The US NGC, an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the federal agency responsible for improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare, offers providers a comprehensive database of clinical practice guidelines covering a wide range of diseases and conditions, from “animal diseases” to “viral diseases.” Essentially these guidelines serve as prescriptions to assist providers in the delivery of healthcare.
Now, with the twelve newly listed ABM protocols on the NGC website, providers have breastfeeding recommendations, strategies, and other information at their fingertips, contributing to appropriate and standardized postpartum care. It is well-documented that optimal breastfeeding practices are associated with health benefits for both infant and mother.
“ABM are excited to be involved and associated with NGC, and ABM looks forward to continuing to serve the community of healthcare professionals by providing tools to enable the best possible care of breastfeeding families,” says Kathie Marinelli, MD, FABM, Co-Chair of the ABM Protocol Committee.
According to Cynthia Howard, MD, MPH, FABM, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester, and member of the ABM Executive Committee, “NGC acceptance is a mark of the high quality of ABM protocols.” In particular, ABM protocols are developed by multidisciplinary teams of physicians who have expertise in the field, and are based on a rigorous review of the medical literature.
The development, dissemination, and use of current clinical practice guidelines remains a priority for ABM. As the only international organization of physicians in this field, ABM also provides translations of many protocols into Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and German, as well as English.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (www.bfmed.org) is a worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation through education, research, and advocacy. An independent, self-sustaining, international physician organization and the only organization of its kind, ABM’ s mission is to unite members of various medical specialties through physician education, expansion of knowledge in breastfeeding science and human lactation, facilitation of optimal breastfeeding practices, and encouragement of the exchange of information among organizations.
For more information on the National Guideline Clearinghouse, and for a complete list of the ABM Protocol Guideline Collection please visit www.guideline.gov.

ABM Holds Annual International Meeting in November 2009

14th Annual International Meeting of the
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine planned for November 6-8, 2009
The 14th Annual International Meeting of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) (www.bfmed.org) has been announced for Williamsburg, Virginia from November 6-8, 2009. The meeting hold under the theme “Breastfeeding: Lessons from History, Implications for Tomorrow.” World-class speakers will provide key research materials on current and critical issues in breastfeeding medicine. ABM speakers are among leaders of clinical medicine and research in the world of breastfeeding and human lactation. The meeting will focus on the most authoritative and up-to-date clinical information on breastfeeding, spanning both maternal and child health issues. A significant educational opportunity, the ABM Annual International Meeting is an ideal context for physicians, and other healthcare providers to continue their professional education in a highly respected stimulating environment, while earning continuing education credits. This year’s meeting will also include the updated one-day breastfeeding medicine course, “What Every Physician Needs To Know About Breastfeeding” on November 5, 2009.
“The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Annual International Meeting allows physicians from all over the world to network and hear the latest basic research, public health, and clinical information about breastfeeding and human lactation,” says Conference Chair, Michelle Brenner, MD. Visit the Academy’s website regularly for the most up-to-date information on the meeting ( www.bfmed.org).
The official journal of ABM, Breastfeeding Medicine (www.liebertpub.com/bfm ), now in its fourth year, will publish the selected Conference Abstracts. With growing demands for the best evidence-based research, this interdisciplinary journal provides the international medical and scientific community with the latest peer-reviewed reports of laboratory, field, and clinical investigations, with special emphasis on the risks of not breastfeeding. A free sample issue is available at www.liebertpub.com/bfm
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (www.bfmed.org) is a worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding and human lactation through education, research, and advocacy. An independent, self-sustaining, international physician organization and the only organization of its kind, ABM’ s mission is to unite members of various medical specialties through physician education, expansion of knowledge in breastfeeding science and human lactation, facilitation of optimal breastfeeding practices, and encouragement of the exchange of information among organizations.
Issued in New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2009
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine,
140 Huguenot St., 3rd floor,
New Rochelle, NY 10801-521(800) 990.4ABM
Tel:(914) 740.2115 Fax: (914) 740.2101
Email: abm@bfmed.org Website:www.bfmed.org

Development and International Cooperation

Yvonne Bekeny Ends Development Cooperation Internship At Cameroon Link
By Alice Ndeloh
Cameroon Link
The second phase of development cooperation internship of Yvonne Bekeny was packed full of activities out of Cameroon Link office. Yvonne moved from the community into the school environment to collect data for her thesis. The capital city of Yaoundé was the venue to meet the youth target population for her study. It was a very challenging exercise because it was the first time she was collecting data for analysis later. It was less strenuous because securing research permit was not as difficult as her research assistant had anticipated. On the other hand the schools were so big, with large numbers on roll that distributing the questionnaires was a bit difficult and even more so because students could not work individually as she had expected given the large numbers on roll. Despite these hindrances, she was able to administer the number of questionnaires required for her study.
After working with students for on week she returned to the office in Douala to continue administrative work and reviewing some reports and also assembling material that was to be used at an up coming workshop organized by the Cameroon Ministry of Public health on infant and young child feeding counselling in Obala, 100 kms from Yaounde on the road to Bafoussam. The preparations led to Yvonne Bekeny attending the week-long workshop as representative if the Chief Executive Office of Cameroon Link. The workshop was attended by representatives of some fourteen Non-Governmental Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and Community Based Organizations involved in the promotion and protection of breastfeeding and infant and young feeding rights in Cameroon. It was facilitated by professional medical staff from the ministry of public health, social workers and nutrition counselling consultants.
It was during the interactive exchanges at the workshop that they were taught the advantages and the benefits of breastfeeding to the baby and the mother. The discussed the health benefits, the economic benefits to the entire family and the community. It was repeated echoed that if the mothers breastfed exclusively for six months, their babies’ health was guaranteed, therefore the family saved money that would otherwise have been used for artificial feeding. Breastfeeding has no cost and helped reduce spending and was seen as a poverty alleviation ingredient that also safe guarded the family income.
● Yvonne and her colleagues at the workshop were equipped with negotiation skills on how to approach women and convince them to practice exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after birth and how they could also encourage women to begin introducing complimentary feeding from the age of six months while continuing breastfeeding up to 24 months.. They were informed that it was easy to meet women in their community groups, in the community health facilities and also in the district hospitals to address these issues. With the creation of WABA Men’s initiative, it was decided that the men or fathers and youths be involved in the breastfeeding campaign movement because the mothers would need their support if breastfeeding practices are to be successful.
The issue of breastfeeding in the context of HIV/AIDS was also discussed lengthily. The facilitators told the participants about the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding when a woman is HIV positive. Statistics were quite revealing and Yvonne was equipped with the facts about breastfeeding in the context of HIV/AIDS. Every woman who is HIV positive should know the facts, be well educated and be able to make an informed choice of feeding for her baby.
Considering the advantages of breastfeeding and the fact that only about 22.5% of mothers in Cameroon breastfeed exclusively during the first six months of birth, this among other strategies are implemented by the Cameroon Ministry of Public Health to improve on infant and young child feeding, so as to mitigate malnutrition and therefore reduce infant mortality. At the end of the workshop, Yvonne and her colleagues drew up a feasible project for a period of six months, and this was used to evaluate the participating organization’s level of understanding the subject. This was yet another opportunity for Yvonne to apply her knowledge of project planning and management. She was able to come up with a short doable project from January to August 2009. Within this project, the two persons who represented Cameroon Link could also train other members of staff attached to the six Women Gender and AIDS Councils (COGESID) mentioned in her first report. As at the moment of writing this report the newly trained infant and young child feeding counsellors had started social mobilisation and sensitization activities within the communities and on the media on the importance of breastfeeding.
Upon their return from the seminar they immediately got into activities and celebration marking the 20th edition of the World AIDS Day. Yvonne and others attended the ceremony launched by the Governor of the Littoral region of Cameroon and they were involved in the organization of educative talks in secondary schools. The activities were focused on the animation of college health clubs. Other Health NGOs and women’s groups were also involved in these activities. During this celebration, the regional coordinator of the National AIDS Control Committee presented the most recent statistics on the situation of HIV/AIDS in Cameroon.
Yvonne seized the opportunity to interview the coordinators of health clubs and students in the littoral region about the activities within their respective schools. This constituted vital information for her thesis since she was researching on HIV/AIDS prevention and education in secondary schools. It was observed that all secondary schools are involved in AIDS Communication. AIDS communication embodies advocacy, behaviour change, social mobilization and social change. This strategy addresses issues that immediately impact on HIV and AIDS, the lack of knowledge on the practice of safer sex, and the driving causes of the epidemic, such as gender relations hindering safer sex practice.
A key factor in effective AIDS communication is the understanding of audiences’ needs and circumstances. It is even made easier by the training of peer educators with whom the youths and other sub populations can identify. It was very amazing that most schools pay attention to the importance of the social context of communication, including religious, economic and cultural factors. These factors determine the nature of AIDS communication in and out of schools and within communities. Consequently, practitioners are increasingly focusing on the creation of enabling AIDS communication environments through work with institutions such as the media and civil society organizations. Cameroon link was an ordinary participant during the event because Yvonne and others had just returned from a training workshop in the Capital City of Yaoundé ahead of World AIDS Day and the memory was still very fresh on Mother to Child HIV Prevention. They did not participate in demonstrations but planned some counselling and educative campaigns with women groups during the week that preceded the World AIDS Day as part of the National AIDS Week declared by the Minister of Public Health. She also conducted interviews with the Littoral Regional Coordinator for AIDS Control Committee. The World AIDS Day activities were very significant to her because she was able to get recent statistics on the situation in Cameroon and other issues concerning prevention, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and the rehabilitation of HIV orphans.. This would have been a bit difficult during ordinary times because getting information in Cameroon is quite complex. Officials are usually very reluctant to give statistics and other vital information on their work.
LOCATION OF RESEARCH SITES
The first phase of the research study was carried out in Douala in the Littoral region, while the second phase in November 2008 was in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon situated in the centre region. The choice was based on the resources available to Yvonne Bekeny. This means that the choice of research site was based strictly for convenience reasons, especially as other schools running the new HIV education programme are situated in the far south and distant northern regions. Yaoundé’s location makes access a lot easier as it is situated at the centre of Cameroon and it is the administrative capital of the nation. Considering the bilingual nature of Cameroon, Yaoundé has many public and private bilingual secondary schools. The choice of Government Bilingual High School Yaoundé and Government Bilingual Practicing High School Yaoundé was based on the similarities in characteristics of both schools. Similarities in terms of enrolled students. These are very thickly populated government education institution. Most of the students attending these colleges live in the out skirts of Yaounde City. Since one of the secondary schools undertook the new HIV/AIDS education programme and the other did not, this formed the basis of Yvonne Bekeny’s comparison.
RESEARCH APPROACH
To achieve the objectives of the study, a quantitative research approach was employed. This was important because it provided statistical data on the actual number of students involved in the research survey, their basic characteristics, level of education, gender differentiation, and religious inclinations among other variables. Secondary data from the National AIDS Control Committee was also consulted, to know the actual national statistics and to find answers to some of the research questions.
COLLEGE SELECTION
The choice of the colleges for the research survey was based on the following criteria:
1. Geographical location of colleges putting into consideration proximity and access to all.
2. Similarity in characteristics of both collegs. Both are bilingual educational institutions with English and French speaking students undertaking English and French systems of education respectively. They are similar also in terms of enrolment of large number of students each year.
3. Most of the students live at the heart of the city, while a few live in the out-skirts and neighbourhoods of Yaoundé..
4. One school does the new HIV/AIDS education programme and the other does not. This constituted the basis for a comparative analysis.
Due to the researcher’s English speaking background, only the English speaking students in each school where involved for the survey and research study.
SURVEY SAMPLING
The study utilized a random sampling frame. The two schools formed appropriate basis for comparison as the age group required for the study where easily identified. The main guiding criteria for choice were:
1. The age of the students. The age was considered as a major criterion for sampling and this lead to the next level of sampling.
2. The class of the students strictly followed the age. It was realized that the classes had different age ranges. But then, each level for example like form 3 classes had the same age range between 14-16 years. It is for this reason that random sampling of classes was done for each level. This gave the students equal chances to be drawn from the population.
The two colleges have different populations. GBHS Yaoundé has a total population of 6000 with 3000 English speaking students and 3000 French speaking students. The sample size for this school was 320 (10.6 percent) and it consisted of students with ages between 12-21 years. While GBPHS Yaoundé had a total population of 4800 students with 2300 English speaking students and 2500 French speaking students. The sample size in this school was 322 (12.8 percent). The sample also consisted of students with ages between 12 -21 years. The research expected to have a larger sample, but due to resource constraints on the part of the researcher, only the above sample could be considered. The sample strictly took into account the age, sex and gender of the respondents.
DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY
The research used two methods to collect the relevant data to measure the students’ knowledge, attitudes and reported behaviour on HIV/AIDS and to see the impact of the new HIV/AIDS education programme on the students. Secondary data was used to review the relevant literature on HIV/AIDS related issues within schools in Cameroon and within the youth population in general. Primary data was used for the most part and the instrument used was a questionnaire.
Some 642 questionnaires were administered to students in English. The questionnaire took into account the target age group for the study. From the college environment, Yvonne Bekeny returned to Cameroon, where she was initiated on information, education and communication strategies, networking and report writing.
Information, Education and Communication
A press conference was organized at the headquarters of Cameroon Link in the third week of December 2008 to highlight advocacy strategies by NGOs using the Sickle Cell Society UK approach. The conference speaker was the Director of Sickle Cell Society UK, Dr. Asaah Nkohkwo, who paired the relationship of sickle cell disorder and other diseases and how they affect African and Asian communities most.
Yvonne Bekeny was involved in the organisation of the conference logistics and report writing. The use of media for advocacy was also an aspect valorised by her participation in a live programme presentation at the Catholic Community Radio Station « Radio Véritas ». The live show was on highlights of the 5th Anniversary celebrations of the radio station. Yvonne and James were invited as guests speakers to the programme audience on what they considered to be the truth and how it is employed within the Cameroon communities and elsewhere. The live show was recorded and rebroadcast twice on the same channel at different peak listening hours.
Networking Linkages
Yvonne Bekeny had the opportunity to learn from Cameroon Link the importance of networking at national and international levels. Cameroon Link leads the Federation of Cameroon Breastfeeding Promotion Associations, FECABPA, and is also affiliated to two international health networks, while acting as focal point for the networks in Cameroon.
Cameroon Link is affiliated to the International Baby Food Action Network, (IBFAN) Africa, and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, (WABA). In the latest development, the Executive Director of Cameroon Link was appointed to the position of International Coordinator of WABA’s Men Initiative, which calls for the mainstreaming of gender promotion within infant and young child feeding promotion and the encouragemen of youths to get involved in health development issues.
Yvonne Bekeny ended her field research studies at Cameroon Link with designing of a project for the initiation of fundraising in Finland to support the execution of humanitarian activities planned within the next four years. This aspect is found to be vital for the survival of any organisation, especially as all projects aim at durability of impact social change and behaviour change communication, BCC. This is how Yvonne Bekeny was given the opportunity to test all her skills. A project for Sickle Cell Awareness in Cameroon was designed as a team for fundraising lobby by her in Finland.
The strategies of Cameroon Link transferred to Yvonne will serve her at any time when she would have completed her studies in development and international cooperation..
Conclusion
Cameroon Link was very appreciative of the devotion, interest and willingness to cooperate with all staff of the organisation and to serve as a volunteer. There is no doubt that the internship of Yvonne Bekeny at Cameroon Link valorizes her as an excellent international development and cooperation agent in the making, considering the high level skills she achieved before returning to Finland..