Developing Croatia’s National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies: From Global Guidance to National Action

Emergency situations pose a serious threat to population health, especially of vulnerable populations. Hence, governments must be prepared to provide coordinated emergency relief, based on official guidance, which includes the protection of breastfeeding—a pillar of food security for infants and young children. The Republic of Croatia did not have a policy on infant feeding in emergencies, despite facing several disasters in the past. In the 2015 World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative Report, Croatia received only 1 of 10 points for “Infant feeding during emergencies.” Consequently, a multidisciplinary working group within the Ministry of Health was formed in 2019, with the task of preparing a national policy. The “Operational Guidance on Infant Feeding in Emergencies” (OG) was used as a template. This seminal document was translated and carefully adapted to the Croatian setting, which proved to be a lengthy, complex and consultative process. A draft was sent to relevant government departments and organizations for feedback, validation, and approval. The revised guidance was posted on the government’s official website for public consultation. On September 12, 2023, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Croatia adopted the document “Infant and young child feeding in emergency situations—Guidance for aid workers and program leaders in emergency situations.” Developing Croatia’s national guidance through a volunteer-based, multisectoral working group was cost-effective, relied on existing expertise, and fostered strong collaboration between government, civil society, and international organizations. Using the OG as the foundation ensured alignment with global standards and accelerated the drafting process.