IBFAN Latin America and Caribbean
Contact : CEFEMINA
PO Box 5355-1000, San José, Costa Rica
tel /fax (506) 2224 3986 (506) 8882 6936
email cefemina@racsa.co.cr web www.ibfan-alc.org
IBFAN LAC has a structured presence of national groups and networks and works in alliance with authorities in 22 countries (all Spanish speaking, 1 English speaking, 1 Lusophone and 1 Francophone): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, and contacts in Panama, Belize and Haiti.
IBFAN LAC members are placed in strategic positions such as National Breastfeeding Commissions, Ministries of Health, health care systems, international agencies, women’s rights, consumers’ and human rights groups; universities and training and research institutions, civil society organizations, grass roots community groups, and others. This platform creates a good basis for sustainable action that does not depend on external funding and helps to build alliances and coalitions with civil society organizations and people’s movements.
IBFAN LAC has promoted the development of 2 new organizations: One for youth and youth professionals called RUMBA (United Network for Mother-Babies and their Nourishment), another for academics called Latin-American Institute for Health and Development MACONDO. Both have already important achievements: more than 100 youth members active in 17 countries; the first e-learning master degree on infant feeding in alliance with Galileo University from Guatemala.
The Regional Coordination for LAC is also the WABA Regional Focal Point for LAC and works closely with WABA associates in joint action, mainly on the coordination of the World Breastfeeding Week, gender training and mainstreaming, presence at various regional events, and community and youth involvement. At regional and national level most groups have built strong links with Consumer, Women, Workers, Human Rights, Environmental, Fair Trade, and many other movements. In fact, most IBFAN groups are hosted by wider organizations linked historically to people’s action.
IBFAN LAC is a known authority in Code related issues and has been part of national processes for legislation and monitoring of industry promotional practices. Up to 2009, IBFAN LAC has monitored the state of the Global Strategy in 11 countries and presented proposals to fill gaps and improve public policies and programmes.
IBFAN LAC has an active communication system in place to build bridges between countries main actors in infant feeding and women rights actions.
