The Minister of Health, Dr. Benjamin Kunbour, has called on health personnel to be professional in the discharge of their duties to encourage lactating mothers to attend health centres. He said the call had become necessary because most mothers complained about the negative attitude of some health professionals, and expressed the need for change to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG'S) for the health sector. In a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the World Breast-feeding Week Celebration held in Accra, he said" it is only when mothers come to deliver at health centres that there can be an implementation of the 10 successful steps for breastfeeding". He said now that antenatal, delivery and postnatal services are free under the National Health Insurance Scheme, health facilities should be used so that the needed support can be provided. The minister reminded the gathering of the need to encourage mothers in their groups and homes to access information and services on family planning to prevent the high infant mortality and maternal mortality rates that the nation was experiencing. "As we celebrate this year's World Breast-feeding Week, which is the 20 years of the "Innocenti Declaration", we want to draw attention to the role of the "ten steps to successful breastfeeding" in improving breastfeeding rates". Dr. Kunbour called on all health care systems, healthcare providers and community members to encourage and support all women to breastfeed successfully. He advocated the revitalisation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative since it had the potential of leading to the achievement of the "Gold Standard". The standard is to breastfeed babies exclusively for the first six months of life and continue breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods until the baby is two years old or more. The minister said several studies had shown that implementation of the Ten Steps with continued postnatal support contributed "to increase in breastfeeding rates. "It also leads to increased eagerness of mothers to position and attach babies properly when feeding, improved suckling of the baby, and cost reduction by the health facility." He said it was imperative to have educational activities and support to improve upon infant and young child feeding, child health and maternal health towards the achievement of MDGS. Dr. Kunbour praised the.37 Military Hospitals for retraining its staff on the 10 Steps for breastfeeding and continuing to be baby friendly. The Commander of the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, Brigadier-General Paul Kponyoh, expressed appreciation for the fact that 15 years ago, the hospital was privileged to be the first hospital in Ghana to be designated "Baby Friendly". The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched in Ghana in 1993 and any Maternity Health Facility that practices all the Ten Steps to successful Breastfeeding and do not receive "free supplies of Breast milk Substitutes” qualifies to be designated as a bal Friendly Health Facility. Credit: The Ghanaian Times