Mother and Children Hospital at Banswada in Kamareddy district has earned the tag of being India’s first government ‘breastfeeding friendly’ hospital, for implementing the ten measures introduced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for successful breastfeeding and guidance on Mother’s Absolute Accordance (MAA) programme of the Government of India.
The accreditation certificate is valid from February 17 this year to February 16, 2026.
Hospitals are selected based on a joint criteria by Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) and Association of Health Providers India (AHPI) and given certificates by the Breastfeeding Friendly Hospital Initiative - National Accreditation Centre (BFHI-NAC). The certification was granted to the hospital after two rounds of inspection.
Currently, a total of seven hospitals in India, including public and private, have the BFHI accreditation. The BPNI also has volunteers across the country who help educate pregnant and lactating women on the benefits of giving breast milk to the child within 30 minutes of birth. Three such volunteers are from the Mother and Children Hospital at Banswada.
Health Minister Harish Rao welcomed the award and said, “Kudos to doctors and staff for implementing WHO’s steps to successful breastfeeding and guidance to MAA programme”.
