JAMAICAN MOTHERS NOT BREASTFEEDING ENOUGH
PORT MARIA, St Mary; March 20, 2026
The Port Maria Hospital in St. Mary has been recertified baby-friendly, joining 12 other facilities islandwide committed to promoting breastfeeding as the norm and optimising newborn care.
The recertification was made official during a ceremony on the Hospital grounds on Friday, March 13.
The hospital was first certified baby-friendly in 2019 and must be recertified every three years. COVID-19 and major natural disasters caused the delay in the recertification, a JIS report said.
Officials and hospital personnel at the unveiling of the ‘baby-friendly’ sign
In her address, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Krystal Lee, said that the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) reshapes hospital and maternity facilities through implementation of the globally recognised ‘10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’.
(Kystal Lee, State Minister for Health and Wellness, addressing the function).
“[The ‘10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’] is a package of policies and procedures that facilitates the provision of maternity and newborn services to support lactation. This is reinforced by a framework that enables mothers to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months following birth,” Ms. Lee explained.
According to JIS, Ms Lee noted that these procedures allow for the establishment of healthy breastfeeding practices, which is critical given the data that indicate that Jamaican mothers are not breastfeeding enough.
(SMO Dr Sydney Powell)
Senior Medical Officer at the Port Maria Hospital, Dr. Sydney Powell, said that formal recertification is significant for the facility, as it assures the public of the hospital’s competence and commitment to continuous improvement.
“It highlights the fact that as a hospital, we have met the specific predetermined quality standards [and] demonstrates our firm determination and purposeful actions in the continued provision of the best start for every baby born within our nurturing hands,” Dr. Powell said.
Also speaking was UNICEF Jamaica Nutrition Officer, Vonetta Nurse, and Regional Food and Nutrition Advisor at PAHO Jamaica, Dr. Audry Morris.
Jamaica began implementing the BFHI shortly after its inception by WHO and UNICEF in 1991. The Northeast Regional Health Authority is the leading region in the country in having all five of its facilities now certified baby-friendly.
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