Minister of Health Honors Hospitals Accredited as Baby-Friendly
Kuwait City, July 11 (KUNA) – Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi today, Saturday, honored hospitals that have obtained or renewed their “Baby-Friendly Hospital” accreditation, alongside honoring Al-Jahra Hospital for receiving the “IBCLC Care Award 2026,” in recognition of its commitment to global best practices in supporting breastfeeding and maternal and child care.
In a press release, the Ministry of Health stated that the Nutrition and Feeding Administration and the National Committee for Supporting Breastfeeding organized a ceremony for this occasion, attended by Deputy Minister of Health Sheikh Dr. Salman Khalifa Al-Sabah, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Affairs Dr. Al-Mundhir Al-Hasawi, and several senior officials from the ministry.
The release quoted Sheikh Dr. Salman Khalifa Al-Sabah as emphasizing that this recognition embodies the ministry’s dedication to continuing the development of maternal and child health services and strengthening a supportive environment for breastfeeding through the implementation of the best international standards and practices. This aims to enhance the quality of services provided to mothers and children and to consolidate the culture of integrated healthcare across various health institutions, thereby positively impacting family and community health and reinforcing the quality and sustainability of healthcare services.
For her part, Dr. Mona Al-Sumait, Coordinator of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, stated in the release that Kuwait has been implementing the initiative since 1998, contributing to tangible progress in supporting breastfeeding within health institutions. She added that Al-Adan Hospital renewed its Baby-Friendly Hospital accreditation for the fifth time, while Tiba Hospital renewed it for the fourth time. Al-Farwaniya Hospital received the accreditation for the first time for a three-year period. Meanwhile, Al-Jahra Hospital received the Breastfeeding Support Excellence Award (IBCLC Care Award 2026), joining Al-Adan, Maternity, and Al-Farwaniya hospitals in holding this international certification.
She noted that the results of the 2025 Nutrition Surveillance Program showed an increase in the rate of early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth to 94 percent, and an increase in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age to 33 percent. She affirmed that these achievements reflect the success of national efforts to improve the health of mothers and newborns and to enhance Kuwait’s standing in applying global best healthcare practices. (End) M.N.M. / M.A.A.
