To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Innocenti declaration, the Regional Authority of Tuscany and the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre co hosted a meeting in Florence on the 21st and 22nd November 2005.

The meeting itself was the result of a collaborative effort of the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, WABA, IBFAN, ILCA, La Leche League, USAID and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine with the support of the Meyer hospital. ILCA was represented at this meeting by Angela Smith, Director of External Affairs and Margot Mann, ILCAs permanent representative to the UN.

The two-day meeting commenced with a welcome from the organisers followed by several regional reports from the local Italian areas. Italy's health system is a decentralised one and each region is responsible for its own area health care. These reports included the Region of Veneto who presented its guidelines for a network of Baby Friendly Hospitals as well as the Tuscan region who presented strategies for a Baby Friendly environment for hospitals and community services.

Dr Adriano Cattaneo presented the European Union Blueprint for Protection and Promotion of Breastfeeding in Europe. (See it on ILCAs website.)

The second day of the meeting was the International day and commenced with the launch of the publication.

1990-2005

Celebrating the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection,
Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding.
Past Achievements, Present Challenges
And the Way Forward for Infants and Young Child Feeding

This document of 38 pages will be an invaluable tool for all interested in lactation issues including policy makers.

This was followed by presentations by various dignitaries including a video message from Ann Veneman, the Executive Director of UNICEF. Sarah Amin from WABA represented the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) ILCA is one, and presented "Key Messages of the Innocenti publications".

Another key presentation was from Josa Martines from the World HealthOrganisation who presented some of the findings from the "Bellagio Study Group on Child Survival". He gave an excellent overview of the world's infant mortality, giving interventions that we know can help, including breastfeeding of course which on its own would reduce the infant mortality rate by 13%. Add to this correct use of complementary foods 6% so together "good feeding practices" could reduce infant mortality by nearly 20%. 6000 infants die each day due to diseases directly related to not breastfeeding. This data is available from the Lancet child series: http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/publications/CHILD_HEALTH/Lancet_CS.htm

There were several other excellent presentations including one by Petra ten Hoope - Bender who spoke on Partnerships for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. The Partnership unites leaders in developing and donor countries in the effort to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 & 5, focusing global efforts to scale up resources, strategies and political commitments to achieve these goals. The vision of The Partnership is to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality and morbidity through universal coverage of essential care. www.pmnch.org

Other presenters included Randa Saadeh, Penny Van Esterik, Audrey Naylor, Alan Court, Felicity Savage, Lida Lhotska and Urban Johnsson.

The meeting concluded with a presentation from Miriam Labbok and the signing of the new declaration by all parties at the meeting.

ILCA wishes to express many thanks to Nancy Wight who represented ILCA in the writing of the Innocenti booklet.

WABA has done a fantastic job in coordinating the website for this event so please go and have a look at it. Most of the presentations are available in audio and some in powerpoint as well as a host of other information, at http://innocenti15.net/. It was both a privilege and a pleasure for Margot and myself to represent ILCA at such an important meeting.

Respectfully submitted
Angela Smith
Director of External Affairs
International Lactation Consultant Association