The timely collection of data is essential to documenting coverage and identifying gaps.

A&T and other partners supported the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health in adding six new nutrition and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators to its National Health Management Information System (NHMIS): numbers of pregnant women; mothers and clients overall counseled on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN); initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth; reported exclusive breastfeeding for 0-5 months; and number of children weighed at the facility by age.

Human milk banks (HMBs) provide breastmilk for infants who are unable to receive their own mothers' milk - an important nutrition benefit for the most vulnerable, premature and low birthweight infants. A&T staff recently spent time in China to share resources and experiences in establishing and operating HMBs. A&T is also supporting the Philippines in the development of a Southeast Asia network for HMBs that China will be invited to join once formally launched later this year.

Violations to the marketing of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) undermine the efforts of women to provide optimal feeding via breastfeeding to their infants. A&T is partnering with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), to assess product promotions and labels for infant, follow-up, and growing-up formulas in commercial settings, including supermarkets/large chains, independent stores/small retailers, and pharmacies.