Joint Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henriette Fore and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhan Ghebreyesus on World Breastfeeding Week

Earlier this year, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector came together to launch the project Nutrition for the year of growth in action. The Year of Action is a historic opportunity to change the way the world copes with a global commitment to eliminating child malnutrition.

Breastfeeding is key to fulfilling this commitment.

The onset of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, followed exclusively by breastfeeding for six months, and the continuation of breastfeeding for up to two years or longer offer strong defenses against all forms of infant malnutrition, including loss and obesity. Breastfeeding also acts as the first vaccine for babies, protecting them from many common childhood diseases.

Although progress has been made in the last four decades in breastfeeding rates — with a 50 percent increase in the frequency of exclusive breastfeeding globally — the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the fragility of these gains.

In many countries, the pandemic has caused significant disruptions to breastfeeding support services, while increasing the risk of food insecurity and malnutrition. Several countries have reported that baby food manufacturers have increased these risks by citing unfounded fears that breastfeeding may transmit COVID-19 and market their products as a safer alternative to breastfeeding.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week under its theme ‘Protect breastfeeding: a shared responsibility ‘ it is time to reconsider the commitments made earlier this year by prioritizing a breastfeeding-friendly environment for mothers and babies. This includes:

• Ensuring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes – established to protect mothers from aggressive marketing practices in the baby food industry – is fully implemented by governments, health workers and industry.
• Provide health professionals with the resources and information needed to effectively support breastfeeding mothers, including through global efforts, such as A child-friendly hospital initiative, i guidelines for breastfeeding counseling.
• Ensure that employers provide women with time and space to breastfeed; including paid parental leave with longer maternity leave; safe places to breastfeed in the workplace; access to affordable and quality care for children; and universal child benefits and appropriate wages.

As we approach UN Food Systems Summit in September and Tokyo Summit on Nutrition for Growth in December, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector have the opportunity to invest wisely and commit to tackling the global malnutrition crisis – including protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding – through stronger policies, programs and actions.

This is not the time to lower our ambitions. Now is the time for high targeting. We are committed to creation Nutrition for the year of growth in action success by ensuring that every child’s right to nutritious, safe and affordable food and adequate nutrition is realized from the beginning of life, starting with breastfeeding.

About UNICEF

UNICEF is working in some of the most difficult places in the world to reach the most vulnerable children in the world. In more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for all.

For more information on UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org

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About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, the WHO works with 194 member states, in six regions and 149 offices, to promote health, preserve the world and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for the period 2019-2023. Is to ensure that another billion people have universal health coverage, to protect another billion people from emergencies and to provide billions more people with better health and well-being.

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