Countries urged to invest in health systems, support breastfeeding mothers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organisation has revealed in its latest statement that only 48 per cent of infants under six months of age are being exclusively breastfed, well below the World Health Assembly target of 60 per cent by 2030.

While Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a baby’s health, development, and survival in the earliest stages of life, as it acts as their first vaccine, protecting against diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia, the organisation notes that there exist overlapping challenges for new mothers, health workers, and health systems.

Millions of mothers around the world do not receive timely and skilled support in a healthcare setting when they need it most. Data shared in a joint communique by UNICEF and WHO show that only a fifth of countries include infant and young child feeding training for the doctors and nurses who care for new mothers. This means the majority of the world’s mothers leave hospitals without proper guidance on how to breastfeed their babies and when to introduce complementary feeding.

In many countries, health systems are too often under-resourced, fragmented, or poorly equipped to deliver quality, consistent, evidence-based breastfeeding support. Investment in breastfeeding support remains critically low, even though research shows every dollar invested generates US$35 in economic returns.

Now, WHO and UNICEF are calling on governments, health administrators, and partners to invest in high-quality breastfeeding support by ensuring adequate investment in equitable, quality maternal and newborn care, including breastfeeding support services by among others increasing national budget allocations for breastfeeding programmes and ensuring all health service providers are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to support breastfeeding, including in emergency and humanitarian settings.

“Strengthening health systems to support breastfeeding is not just a health imperative; it is a moral and economic imperative. WHO and UNICEF remain committed to supporting countries to build resilient health systems that leave no mother or child behind”, reads the joint statement in part.

This statement, which is released as countries are marking the World Breastfeeding Week under the theme, “Prioritise breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems”, also highlights the need to regulate the marketing of breast-milk substitutes.

Previously, following declining rates of breastfeeding rates in favour of supplements, members of the World Health Assembly came up with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which the United Nations now call upon to be applied in all health facilities and systems.

According to the code, member countries are urged to review sales promotion activities on baby foods and to introduce appropriate remedial measures, including advertisement codes and legislation where necessary.

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