As World Breastfeeding Week unfolds under the theme “Prioritize breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems,” the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are urging governments worldwide to invest in stronger breastfeeding support through health systems.
In a joint statement, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stressed that breastfeeding acts as a baby’s first vaccine, protecting against life-threatening illnesses like diarrhea and pneumonia. However, only 48% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed — well below the 2030 global target of 60%.
The organizations point to health system shortcomings as a major barrier. Just 20% of countries train healthcare workers in infant feeding, leaving many mothers without adequate postnatal support. Yet, every dollar invested in breastfeeding yields an estimated US$35 in economic returns.
In the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) echoed the call to action. While Latin America and the Caribbean show higher early breastfeeding rates — 52% within the first hour and 43% exclusively under six months — rates drop to 27% in North America.
Only 19 of the 35 countries and territories in the region have adopted legal measures to partially or fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which protects breastfeeding from commercial influences.
PAHO continues to promote breastfeeding through initiatives like the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative and efforts to enforce the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
WHO and UNICEF are calling for better training for health workers, more funding for national breastfeeding programs, and integrated breastfeeding support in all levels of care — including during emergencies — to help close the global gap.
“Strengthening health systems to support breastfeeding is not just a health imperative — it is a moral and economic imperative,” the WHO and UNICEF leaders stated, pledging to remain committed to supporting countries in building resilient systems that leave no mother or child behind.
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