UN laments on the collective failure in area of breastfeeding

Most mothers are lacking the important knowledge of breast milk to the development of a child. Reports have recently confirmed that no country does enough to help mothers breastfeed their babies for the recommended minimum of six months. United Nations has called for governments to clamp down on baby-formula marketing and pass laws for paid maternity leave. It is believed that this will help mothers to breast feed their children for a longer time.

In addition, experts have discovered that breastfeeding helps prevent infant deaths and boosts physical development and IQ. If this is consistently done, it could also save hundreds of thousands of children’s lives and bring major economic benefits.

In confirmation to this failure in breast feeding rate, a study by the Global Breastfeeding Collective – a new initiative to improve breastfeeding rates – showed that only 40 percent of young babies were exclusively breastfed for six months, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was a huge disappointment on the part of the default mothers.

The GBC report states:
“By failing to invest in breastfeeding, we are failing mothers and their babies – and paying a double price: in lost lives and in lost opportunity. Boosting the rate to 50 percent by 2025 would save the lives of 520,000 young children and potentially generate $300 billion in economic gains over 10 years. The gains would result from reduced illness and health care costs and increased productivity.”

Furthermore, professional Pediatricians have confirmed that exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months can help prevent diarrhoea and pneumonia, two major causes of infant death, and reduces the risk of infections, allergies and sudden infant death syndrome. It also improves babies’ cognitive development and protects mothers against ovarian and breast cancer. It also helps for strong bones.

Reports revealed that Rwanda and Burundi have the highest rates of exclusive breastfeeding for a baby’s first six months with 87 and 83 percent respectively according to an index published with the report. The same report also revealed that Chad and Djibouti came bottom, scoring 0 and 1 percent.

Also, in the United States, the world’s largest economy, only a quarter of babies under six months are breastfed exclusively, according to the scorecard. Reports further stated that China, the second biggest economy, the rate is one in five.

In response to this, Anthony Lake, head of the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, said promoting breastfeeding should be the one of the major focus of every country as it is the only determinant of a child’s healthy life.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described breastmilk as “a baby’s first vaccine”, protecting them from potentially deadly diseases. The United Nations says breastfeeding is critical for achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals, a set of targets agreed by world leaders in 2015 for reducing poverty and inequality.

United Nation urges every country to encourage exclusive breast feeding and also provide the breast feeding mothers with conducive ways and conditions in order to exclusively breast feed their children. This is the foundation for a healthy nation.