Funding and Resources Examples

Example: In the US, the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2017 includes funding of $8 million for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Baby-Friendly Hospitals/Breastfeeding programs.

Score: Minimal Progress
Domain- Existence: Yes
Domain- Quality: National budget line for breastfeeding protection, promotion and support activities does not include more than two items in Annex 3.

Example:In Brazil, a management report from Ministry of Health is published annually. In 2014, the National Budget Line for Child Health Care Policy described in the report included all the items listed in Annex 3. In addition, the report highlighted key actions accomplished in the year, challenges faced and a work plan for next year.

Score: Major Progress
Domain- Domain- Existence: Yes
Quality: There is a national budget line(s) for breastfeeding protection, promotion and support activities and it is adequate to cover all activities in Annex 3 at the national level.

Example:In Brazil, the Coordinator of Breastfeeding and the Child Health Technical Office (within the Ministry of Health) is a completely government funded position. The primary focus of the position is to promote breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and health for children under 9 years old in the whole country, including States and municipalities.

Score: Major Progress
Domain- Existence: Yes
Domain- Quality: Government funded position is focused on breastfeeding protection, promotion and support and it is fully funded.

Examples: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a US based federally funded national program that provides assistance to nutritionally at-risk pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as children up to 5 years of age. Unlike entitlement funded programs, WIC relies on discretionary funds being appropriated annually by Congress. Thus each year, Congress decides whether it will fund WIC and if so, by how much. In contrast, an entitlement program must be funded completely by public funds; thus it must fund as many individuals as meet the eligibility criteria. The number of individuals that are eligible for an entitlement program may fluctuate each year but under the legislation, the government is required to provide the funds needed for the program benefits. Since the WIC program is not an entitlement program, major progress hasn’t been made within the US regarding this benchmark.

Score: No Progress
Domain- Existence: Yes
Domain- Coverage: WIC is a program with national coverage but not an entitlement program. There is no formal mechanism in the US through which maternity entitlements are funded using public sector funds.

The Austrian maternity benefit system is funded at 70% from the Family Burdens Equalisation Fund (financed by contributions from employers- 4.5% of their salary bill and from general taxes) and 30% from public health insurance.

Score: Major Progress
Domain- Existence: Yes
Domain- Coverage: Maternity benefits are available nationally and through a formal, publicly funded mechanism.