Sharjah Baby-Friendly City project
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Best practice - Health
In Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the Sharjah Baby-Friendly City project was established to promote and facilitate breastfeeding across the Emirate. In parallel to introducing the UNICEF and WHO-led Baby-Friendly Hospitals Initiative, the programme was expanded to include the accreditation of breastfeeding-friendly nurseries, workplaces and public places based on a set of criteria. The project team assesses, evaluates and awards institutions in each category with a renewable award for baby-friendliness for three years. The institutional recognition process is accompanied by awareness raising activities and the capacity building of medical and non-medical professionals.
The project has contributed to a significant increase in breastfeeding rates (from 18 per cent in 2011 to 60 per cent in 2020), and more than 3,000 health professionals have been trained in breastfeeding-friendly practices
