By Tomi Jaiyeola, Humanitas Global
Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – For Life! That is the theme for this year’s World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action’s, World Breastfeeding Week.
We know the statistics behind breastfeeding. A non-breastfed child is 14 times more likely to die in the first six months than an exclusively breastfed child and that optimal breastfeeding could save the lives of approximately 800,000 children under five every year. We also know that breastfeeding is vital in lowering the rates of undernutrition and child stunting. Simply stated, breastfeeding is the easiest and most cost-effective means of addressing hunger, poverty, education and health challenges.
World Breastfeeding Week is our opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, especially in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Post-2015 Development Agenda. While there has been some progress made in achieving the MDGs, there is still much more that needs to be done.
As World Breastfeeding Week wraps up, we would like to recognize a few organizations that are doing their part to endorse and support breastfeeding – and saving lives:
- The first thousand days between when a woman becomes pregnant and her child’s 2nd birthday is crucial in impacting the health and development of the child. 1,000 Days focuses on improving nutrition, for both mother and child, by ensuring they get the essential vitamins they need and promoting nutritional practices such as breastfeeding.
- Four out of five newborn deaths result from three preventable and treatable conditions: preterm birth, infections, and complications during childbirth. Save the Children is committed to reducing these deaths by providing high-impact and cost-effective interventions and treatments such as easy-to-apply antibiotics and initiating breastfeeding at birth.
- Illnesses such as malaria, diarrhea and malnutrition are very common among newborns, and Plan International works hard to combat and prevent them through health programs that address immunization, hygiene promotion and child nutrition. In addressing child health and nutrition, they emphasize the importance of breastfeeding and are promoting its practices around the world.
- Governments are also taking action. Last year in El-Salvador, the Ministry of Health passed a law to promote, protect and maintain exclusive breastfeeding from six months and extended to two years of age. While the law does not force women to breastfeed, it aims to reduce the number of babies who have never been breastfed.
These are just a few of the numerous organizations and governments that are advocating for breastfeeding. The benefits and consequences not only show why breastfeeding is the perfect and easy solution, but a life-saving one!
You can learn more about breastfeeding here and World Breastfeeding Week here and follow the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #WBW2014.
