Globally, only 41 per cent of babies were exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life in 2018 but in Rwanda, the estimate was 86.9% according to UNICEF.
As African countries join the rest of the world in marking this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF has revealed that more than half – 50.8 per cent – of newborns in the least developed countries are exclusively breastfed for 6 months as recommended by the WHO.
“The highest rates were found in Rwanda (86.9 per cent), Burundi (82.3 per cent), Sri Lanka (82 percent), Solomon Islands (76.2 percent) and Vanuatu (72.6 percent),” UNICEF stated, adding that infants in rural areas have higher levels of exclusive breastfeeding than urban babies.
From supporting healthy brain development in babies and young children, protecting infants against infection, decreasing the risk of obesity and disease, reducing healthcare costs, and protecting nursing mothers against ovarian cancer and breast cancer, the benefits of breastfeeding for children and mothers are wide spread. Yet, policies that support breastfeeding – such as paid parental leave and breastfeeding breaks – are not yet available to most mothers worldwide.
“The health, social and economic benefits of breastfeeding – for mother and child – are well-established and accepted throughout the world. Yet, nearly 60 per cent of the world’s infants are missing out on the recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “In spite of the benefits of breastfeeding, workplaces worldwide are denying mothers much needed support. We need to far greater investment in paid parental leave and breastfeeding support across all workplaces to increase breastfeeding rates globally.”