Nairobi: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to invest in health systems and support breastfeeding mothers.
According to Kenya News Agency, as the world commemorates World Breastfeeding Week, held annually from August 1st to 7th, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that investing in breastfeeding is an investment in the future. The statement highlights that many countries face challenges with under-resourced, fragmented, or poorly equipped health systems that fail to provide adequate breastfeeding support.
WHO notes that investment in breastfeeding support generates significant economic returns, with every dollar invested yielding USD 35. Breastfeeding is crucial for a baby’s health, development, and survival, providing protection against diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. However, only 48 percent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, falling short of the World Health Assembly target of 60 percent by 2030 due to various challenges faced by mothers, health workers, and health systems.
According to WHO, millions of mothers worldwide do not receive timely and skilled support in healthcare settings. Only a fifth of countries offer infant and young child feeding training for healthcare providers, resulting in many mothers leaving hospitals without proper breastfeeding guidance.
Nationally, celebrations for World Breastfeeding Week are taking place in Rongo, Migori County, focusing on promoting and prioritizing breastfeeding for children’s well-being. Kenya has made significant strides in promoting breastfeeding, with exclusive breastfeeding rates in the first six months increasing from 13 percent in 2003 to 60 percent in 2022, surpassing global targets.
The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 indicates that nearly all children born in the two years before the survey were breastfed, with 60 percent of children breastfed within one hour of birth and 83 percent exclusively breastfed for the first two days. Kenya has also legislated guidelines for breast milk substitutes through the Breast Milk Substitutes (Regulation and Control) Act of 2012.
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week theme is ‘Prioritize breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems.’ WHO and UNICEF urge governments and partners to invest in high-quality breastfeeding support, increase budget allocations for breastfeeding programs, and integrate breastfeeding counseling into maternal and child health services.
They also call on countries to equip health service providers with the necessary skills and knowledge, strengthen community health systems, and ensure the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is applied in all health facilities and systems. WHO and UNICEF stress that strengthening health systems to support breastfeeding is both a health and economic imperative, committing to support countries in building resilient health systems.
