Professionals from the Health Services Management of La Palma are participating in the ‘Tree of Actions That Work’ initiative, managed by the island's Breastfeeding Committee. This activity aims to identify strengths and potential improvements related to natural breastfeeding across different healthcare settings.
The initiative is based on the results of a survey conducted last summer among twenty-two professionals. Through a questionnaire, consolidated practices and those requiring improvement in healthcare assistance were identified. The findings were visualized on three symbolic trees: green leaves represent strengths, and brown leaves represent areas for improvement.
One of these trees is displayed in the hall of the University Hospital of La Palma, while the other two are located in the health centers of Santa Cruz de La Palma and Los Llanos de Aridane.
The Health Services Management of the Health Area of La Palma is in phase 1 of accreditation for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (IHAN). This international project, promoted by the WHO and Unicef, aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding, as well as enhance the quality of care during childbirth and infant follow-up.
In Primary Care, the IHAN Health Centers (CS-IHAN) program is being developed, supported by the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics. This program seeks a rigorous, evidence-based accreditation process to increase breastfeeding duration and provide better support to mothers, babies, and families.
