Sharjah 24: Bodour Al Qasimi, Honorary President of Breastfeeding Friends Society (BFS), said that raising healthy young generations and giving them a good start for a brighter future begins with educating mothers and raising their awareness about the benefits that breastfeeding provides the mother, baby, and to the community as a whole.

These remarks were made during the first board meeting of the Breastfeeding Friends Society, after the appointment of a new board of directors. The meeting, chaired by Bodour Al Qasimi, was held following the official directive to restructure the boards of the health associations under the Health Promotion Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs - Sharjah (SCFA).

During the meeting, the board members discussed the Society’s commitment to creating a more supportive culture of breastfeeding by providing the necessary care and guidance for mothers, advocating best practices, and raising awareness of the role of breastfeeding in protecting and improving community health. Board members also reviewed future plans of the Society and evaluated the accomplishments of the past year. 

Bodour Al Qasimi lauded the efforts of the Society and its commitment towards enhancing awareness of breastfeeding to improve the physical and emotional health of both mother and child. The Honorary President also pointed out that the entity’s goal of raising healthy young generations by educating mothers about the importance of breastfeeding stems from Sharjah’s comprehensive vision of investing in human capital by ensuring they are healthy, well educated, and are fully capable of achieving the nation’s goals.

For her part, Eng. Khawla Abdel Aziz Al Noman, Chairperson of the Breastfeeding Friends Society, said: "We will continue educating the community on providing the best start in life to children by popularising breastfeeding practices in the UAE. We are gearing up to launch events, campaigns and projects to encourage this practice, and help realise Sharjah’s vision of a healthy and sustainable city that provides the best quality of life to its residents.”

The Breastfeeding Friends Society’s new board was formed following the approval of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Chairperson of SCFA. Her Excellency Eng. Khawla Abdel Aziz Al Noman serves on the new board as Chairperson, and its members include Dr. Ruqayya Ahmed Fikri Bastaki, Dr. Safia Saif Al Khaja, Dr. Fatima Saleh Al Hammadi, Dr. Hanadi Al Suwaidi, Eng. Lamia Obaid Al Shamsi, and Fawzia Mahmoud Al Amiri.

The vision of the Breastfeeding Friends Society is aligned with the goals and strategies of Sharjah and the UAE that focus on providing a safe and nurturing environment for children and families by supporting good health practices, including breastfeeding, and is in line with the latest scientific research for overall children's health and family wellbeing.