WHO: Breastfeeding - all countries are failing

According to the New York Daily News, the World Health Organization (WHO) has just released the Global Breastfeeding Assessment. Accordingly, all 194 countries are failing in breastfeeding.

According to WHO, only 40% of infants under 6 months old in the world are exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months of life and only 23 countries have an exclusive breastfeeding rate of over 60% in the first 6 months of life.

WHO believes this number is too low because breastfeeding brings many health benefits to both mother and baby.

"Breastfeeding gives babies the best possible start in life," said Dr Tedros Adhanom, WHO Director-General. "Breastfeeding is like a baby's first vaccine, protecting them from potentially deadly diseases and providing them with all the nutrients they need to survive and thrive."

Breastfeeding for the first six months of life can help prevent two major causes of infant death: diarrhea and pneumonia. In addition, breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of ovarian and breast cancer.

WHO conducted the above assessment to call on countries to encourage breastfeeding because it has both health and economic benefits.

WHO has also just published a study showing that if the rate of children worldwide who are exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months of life increases from 40% to 50% in the next 10 years, 520,000 children will be saved and the world will save 300 billion USD.

"Breastfeeding is one of the most effective investments countries can make in the health of their children and in their economic and social future," said Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

WHO is calling on countries to promote breastfeeding by implementing good maternity policies as well as encouraging the construction of breastfeeding areas and providing guidance or assistance to mothers to breastfeed.

According to Infonet