UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) have called on governments worldwide to strengthen breastfeeding support as World Breastfeeding Week begins, warning that millions of mothers still lack access to the services needed to give their children the healthiest start in life.
In a joint statement issued ahead of the annual campaign, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to protect children from disease and improve long-term health outcomes, but many families continue to face barriers to accessing adequate support.
The two agencies said breastfeeding rates have improved globally over the past decade, reflecting the impact of sustained investments in policies and programmes that support mothers and families. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life has increased from about 37 per cent in 2012 to more than 47 per cent today, while breastfeeding up to two years of age has risen from 38 per cent to 50 per cent over the past five years.
Despite the gains, the global agencies warned that progress remains uneven, particularly in low-income, fragile and humanitarian settings where access to quality breastfeeding services is still limited.
"Too many mothers and families around the world still lack access to services and interventions that enable and support breastfeeding," they said.
They urged governments to expand investments in proven interventions, including stronger health systems, community-based counselling, paid maternity leave and supportive workplace policies, while fully implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes to protect families from the exploitative marketing of commercial milk formulas.
"The evidence is clear: cost-effective interventions include skilled breastfeeding support in health systems, community-based counselling, maternity protection policies, and protection from the exploitative marketing of commercial milk formulas," the statement said.
According to the agencies, increasing investment in breastfeeding could have far-reaching health and economic benefits. They said scaling up breastfeeding support could prevent nearly 400,000 child deaths and around 140,000 maternal deaths every year.
The agencies also highlighted the economic value of breastfeeding, noting that every US$1 invested in breastfeeding promotion generates an estimated US$59 in returns through reduced healthcare costs, improved cognitive development, higher educational attainment and increased lifetime earnings.
This year's World Breastfeeding Week is being observed under the theme "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works." with UNICEF and WHO calling on countries to integrate breastfeeding support into antenatal, perinatal and postnatal healthcare services while ensuring assistance continues in humanitarian and fragile settings.
"Breastfeeding is vital. By investing in proven solutions, we can give every child the best possible start in life and ensure every mother gets the care and services she needs," the agencies said.