GENEVA, NEW YORK – UNICEF has warned that weak health systems and poor support leave millions of mothers without guidance on breastfeeding, undermining infants’ survival, health, and development.
“Breastfeeding acts as a baby’s first vaccine, protecting against diarrhoea and pneumonia,” UNICEF said Monday, stressing that only 48 percent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed worldwide.
The agency emphasized that investment is not only a health issue but an ethical responsibility. “Strengthening health systems to support breastfeeding is a moral and economic imperative,” UNICEF stated.
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UNICEF noted that every dollar spent on breastfeeding support can return $35 in economic benefits, yet funding for maternal care remains critically low across many countries.
Only one in five nations provides training on infant feeding for doctors and nurses, UNICEF said, leaving most mothers without skilled guidance after leaving hospitals.
On World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF and WHO called on governments to prioritize breastfeeding by investing in maternal health, training health workers, and enforcing international protections against breast-milk substitute marketing.