UNICEF and WHO are calling on governments to protect breastfeeding programmes

As part of World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) have asked governments around the world to allocate more resources to protect, promote and support breastfeeding policies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable families living in emergencies.

In a joint statement, UNICEF and the World Health Organization are urging governments to make breastfeeding programs a priority amid global crises that threaten the health and nutrition of millions of infants and children.

“During emergencies, such as those in Afghanistan, Yemen, Ukraine, the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, breastfeeding ensures a safe, nutritious and accessible source of food for infants and young children. It provides a strong line of defense against disease and all forms of child malnutrition, including wasting.”

The attached United Nations agencies stressed that breastfeeding is the first vaccine for children, Protect them from common childhood diseases.

However, UNICEF stressed that “the emotional distress, physical exhaustion, lack of space and privacy and poor sanitary conditions experienced by mothers in emergency situations mean that many children are unable to reap the survival benefits of breastfeeding”.

While, The World Health Organization stressed that less than half of newborns globally are breastfed in the first hour of life, which puts children at higher risk of disease and death.

Only 44% of babies are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life, which is below the World Health Assembly’s target of 50% by 2025.

“Promoting and supporting breastfeeding is more important than ever, not only to protect our planet as the first natural and sustainable diet, but also for the survival, growth and development of millions of children,” the statement added.

In this sense, UNICEF and WHO have called on governments, donors, civil society and the private sector to intensify their efforts to prioritize investment in policies and programs to support breastfeeding, particularly in vulnerable and food insecure contexts.

Some of the recommendations were intended to “equip health and nutrition workers in facilities and communities with the skills they need to provide quality advice and practical support for mothers to breastfeed successfully.”

UN agencies have also called for family-friendly policies that give mothers the time, space and support they need to breastfeed.