Minister of Health Honors Hospitals Awarded the “Baby-Friendly Hospital” Accreditation - Sarmad

(KUNA) – Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi honored hospitals that have received or renewed their “Baby-Friendly Hospital” accreditation on Saturday, alongside recognizing Al-Jahra Hospital for receiving the IBCLC Care Award 2026, in appreciation of its commitment to global best practices in supporting breastfeeding and maternal and child care.

The Ministry of Health stated in a press release 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 statement quoted Sheikh Dr. Salman Khalifa Al-Sabah emphasizing that this recognition reflects 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 international standards and best practices, enhancing the quality of services provided to mothers and children, and consolidating 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, explained in the statement that Kuwait has been implementing the initiative since 1998, contributing to significant progress in supporting breastfeeding within health institutions.

She added that Al-Adan Hospital renewed its Baby-Friendly Hospital accreditation for the fifth time, Tayba Hospital for the fourth time, while Farwaniya Hospital received the accreditation for the first time for a three-year period. Al-Jahra Hospital also received the IBCLC Care Award 2026 for excellence in supporting breastfeeding, joining Al-Adan, Maternity, and Farwaniya hospitals in receiving this international award.

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, confirming that these achievements reflect the success of national efforts to improve the health of mothers and newborns and enhance Kuwait’s standing in implementing global best healthcare practices.