48290 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health

48290 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Associate Minister of Health: What progress, if any, has been made in the quarter April to June 2024 toward the action ‘Maintain Baby Friendly Aotearoa (BFHI) accreditation as a contractual requirement for all private and public maternity facilities.’ under ‘Outcome 4: Learn how all maternity facilities achieve and maintain Baby Friendly Aotearoa (BFHI) accreditation’ within the National Breastfeeding Strategy for Aotearoa?

Hon Casey Costello: I am advised Health New Zealand continues to require all maternity services to attain and maintain Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation. All but two maternity services in New Zealand are currently accredited. The two unaccredited services are new and both are scheduled to undergo the accreditation process during this financial year. I am further advised that four maternity facilities underwent their periodic re-accreditation processes. The accreditation process involves all maternity services staff attaining and demonstrating the necessary skills and knowledge for the maternity service to gain Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) accreditation.