Bharat Serums and Vaccines LtdLaunches Project Janani To Empower and Educate Women on Effective Breastfeeding Practices

• Partners with ARTIST Academy to provide training to primary healthcare providers

Mumbai, September 19, 2024: Bharat Serums & Vaccines (BSV) Ltd. launched project ‘Janani’ recently to educate mothers on breast-feeding. Janani aims to empower mothers by dispelling myths, providing counseling, and teaching effective breastfeeding practices. BSV has partnered with ARTIST Academy to provide training for healthcare workers, including nurses, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers, through a specialized Breastfeeding Facilitator course.

Project Janani aims to extend accessible healthcare support to mothers and provide them with solutions and skills they need to breastfeed their newborns successfully. These qualified professionals will act as advocates for breastfeeding in their local communities. These primary healthcare providers were trained under the professional supervision of Dr. Hema Diwakar of ARTIST Academy.

This specialized Breastfeeding Facilitator course is certified by the Healthcare Sector Skill Council (HSSC), with support from Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (SAFOG). Project Janani was born from the collective vision of the BSV Medical team in association with Dr. Hema Divakar (ARTIST Academy), Dr. Jaydeep tank (President-FOGSI) and Dr Hrishikesh Pai.

The importance of breastfeeding for mothers and children was stressed by Dr Hrishikesh Pai, Past President of FOGSI, Trustee FIGO ASIA Oceania Region and Chief Administrator of Manyata. He explained that “Empowering mothers by counselling them on breastfeeding not only nurtures health and development, but also strengthens the foundation of a healthier society. These programs foster community support, reduce healthcare costs, and promote a culture of care, ensuring that every child has the best start in life. When we invest in breastfeeding education, we invest in the well-being of future generations and give every ‘JANANI’ the right guidance she deserves”

Dr. Swashraya Shah, Chief Medical Officer of BSV put forth the company’s mission for the project by stating that, “As leaders in women’s health it is our responsibility to educate and build awareness on various aspects of motherhood like breastfeeding. WHO estimates only 44% of infants are exclusively breastfed globally for the first six months of their life and this leads to serious cases of undernutrition and compromises the infant’s immune system. Through behaviour-shaping initiatives such as Project Janani, our goal is to simplify breastfeeding for every new mother, enhance immunity of newborns and support overall good health including emotional connect”

Dr Hema Divakar, Division of Well Women Healthcare, Chair of Nutrition and Breastfeeding committee, SAFOG; CEO and Chairman of ARTIST Academy further said, “Breastfeeding isn’t easy, and everyone has a different experience. As a healthcare professional, we are responsible to provide a helping hand and support to mothers who choose to breastfeed their baby and by building the capacity of breastfeeding facilitators we ensure that the right message reaches the new mothers. This will empower them to do their best.”

Dr Jaydeep Tank President of FOGSI said, “Janani aims to enhance maternal health outcomes along with promoting breastfeeding practices in India by training last mile HCP’s like the nurses, Anganwadi and ASHA workers. This initiative aims to address the knowledge gap in breastfeeding practices by educating both mothers and healthcare professionals. It focuses on promoting breastfeeding as a method for better child health and survival. Since breast milk gives the infant the very nutrients, antibodies, and enzymes that they need to grow and develop; we must all work together to increase breastfeeding rates and knowledge.”

Dr Madhuri Patel, Secretary General of FOGSI, Editor in chief JOGI, stated that “In India, many mothers encounter challenges like lack of awareness, inadequate lactation support, and cultural barriers. The JANANI program addresses these issues by training paramedics to provide expert counselling and support, empowering mothers with the guidance they need for successful breastfeeding. Through this initiative, we aim to help women take a confident step toward embracing their role as a Janani.”

Janani is a joint initiative to support and educate Indian moms on lactation. By combining the knowledge of BSV, ARTIST Academy, FOGSI, and SAFOG, this program aims to educate mothers and healthcare professionals and improve maternal and child health outcomes in India.

Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)