Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF) formally began to function in 1989 for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in the country. BBF received technical and financial assistance from UNICEF from 1989 to October 1996. From November 1996 to June 2002 Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project (BINP) financed BBF with soft loan assistance from the World Bank. Since then grant fund have been provided to BBF from Canadian CIDA through NNP for National level and Area Based Community Nutrition (ABCN) activities on breastfeeding.From the beginning, BBF extended its activities on breastfeeding, complementary feeding and Maternal Nutrition.

However, in 2002 the strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) was formalized at the World Health Assembly and endorsed by GOB. Present proposal for financial assistance is asked to meet the IYCF, which basically include protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and complementary feeding. It is also important that the Maternal Nutrition activities are included into the proposed programmes. These IYCF and Maternal Nutrition activities and thus improving the nutritional status of children and mothers are fundamental to the National development and to meet all the MDG goals by 2015 in general and MDG goals 4 and 5 in particular. Breastfeeding and complementary feeding together prevents under 5 mortality by 28% (Exclusive breastfeeding 13% and complementary feeding 6%: Lancet series in 2003. Early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth contributes further by 9 % reduction of under 5 mortality: Ghana study of 10,000 new born). Proper IYCF and maternal nutrition will lay a sound foundation for the healthy living during the entire life cycle of the people; thus will help in reducing both of the double burdens of malnutrition in the country. This proposal is intended to cover and meet the tasks already in demand at the National level and ABCN level on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding, complementary feeding and maternal nutrition. BBF is committed and capable to maximize its effort to complete these tasks in time during the period February 2008 to February 2010. For these, the technical experts who work voluntarily for BBF will closely supervise. BBF hires adequate number of technical people who will initially be trained for a short period by super trainers from BBF and their works.