Huggies and the Department of Health have partnered to employ ‘hundreds of local mothers’ in hospitals and clinics to propel training in maternity wards through the 1 000-Day Hospital Programme, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The 1 000-Day Hospital Programme, since the launch of the initiative in 2013, addresses the need to equip new and expecting mothers with the necessary education and tools needed to ‘prioritise their health and that of their babies’.
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The Huggies health workers, also referred to as ‘Huggies Moms’, have been trained and dispatched to 113 public hospitals throughout South Africa.
Many of these hospitals are situated in ‘under-resourced communities’ in areas such as Soweto in Gauteng, Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape.
This support drive has, in turn, provided valuable employment opportunities for aspiring community health workers.
One of the main reasons for the launch of the programme was the need for education regarding key issues that included hygiene, sanitation, baby health and nutrition.
These factors serve an important role in the development of young infants and the ‘long-term health’ of mothers.
The name of the programme is derived from the first 1 000 days of a baby’s life, which are deemed as ‘crucial’.
This period is characterised by rapid physical, cognitive and emotional growth, and is ‘the foundation for the child’s future wellbeing’.
Camilla Mgiba, Huggies junior brand manager, stated that the observance provided the ‘ideal opportunity’ to raise awareness around the need for equitable care.
‘The 1000-Day Hospital Programme has become a powerful vehicle for empowerment through education. Our existing team of Huggies Moms work alongside the doctors and nurses at the clinics and hospitals at which they are based,’ said Mgiba.
‘They have become valuable members of these clinical teams. Through their work with expectant mothers, they are able to deliver information that can help mothers in their pregnancy journey as well as during the critical period after birth. So far, we’re proud to report that our Huggies Moms have completed over 230 shifts and have helped hundreds of mothers improve how they take care of themselves and their newborns,’ Mgiba added.
Huggies health workers deliver health talks that focus on the wellbeing of the mother and baby ‘from pregnancy through to childbirth and at-home care’.
In addition, the workers also play a key role in ‘assisting clinical teams’ with preparing mothers for post-natal care, offering guidance and advice on topics including skin-to-skin contact after birth, how to change a nappy, breastfeeding and preparing the proper environment for newborns.
Currently, Huggies health workers visit several public hospitals and clinics daily to offer group educational classes, that are followed by one-on-one sessions that can ‘address the individual needs of mothers’.
Visual aids provide the health workers with the support they need to maximise the impact of this educational drive and deliver the messages in a way that is understandable and accessible.
The health workers are also tasked with distributing sample packs to mothers in their third trimester, which include nappies and wipes for the new baby.
‘Observances like #BumpDay are occasions for celebration at Huggies – they give us the opportunity to reflect on the milestones we have reached through initiatives like the 1000-day programme,’ said Mgiba.
It has been an honour to see the difference that the programme has made for so many women and communities and we look forward to seeing the results unfold as we continue this important work,’ Mgiba added.
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Picture: Supplied
