The midwives from the health centers of Lanzarote and the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital, attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, received this Friday in Madrid the diplomas that accredit them after having reached phase 1D of the IHAN Program, Initiative for the Humanization of Assistance to Childbirth and Breastfeeding.
The health centers of Lanzarote have completed the first phases of the process to be recognized as centers committed to the humanization and improvement of their practices in attention to breastfeeding and maternal and child health and their professionals continue working to advance in the implementation of the strategy and achieve accreditation of Phase 2D in a short space of time.
The delivery of these certifications was carried out by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
In addition to the centers of Lanzarote, other SCS centers have received their corresponding accreditation. Thus, the General Hospital of Fuerteventura received the diploma of phase 3D and the health centers of this island received the certification of phase 2D within their joint initiative. For its part, the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital has received the diploma after reaching phase 2D.
The international project consists of four phases, which culminate with the delivery of an official certification that accredits that the hospitals comply with all the measures to be IHAN centers.
These awards represent a recognition for the three Canary Island hospitals and the Primary Care network of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and support the implementation of a program based on scientific evidence, which allows and facilitates the task of initiating, supporting and increasing the duration of breastfeeding, with efficiency and verified by periodic external evaluations.
IHAN Accreditation and Recognition
The IHAN has been promoted by the WHO and UNICEF to encourage hospitals, health services, and in particular maternity wards to adopt practices that protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding from birth.
The main objective is to promote and support the best start in life, ensuring optimal practices in pregnancy care, childbirth, neonatal period and, especially, breastfeeding. The WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, the Strategy for Normal Childbirth Care and the European Union Recommendations on Infant and Young Child Feeding are the scientific support for IHAN's actions.
