On World Breastfeeding Week, countries urged to invest in health systems and support breastfeeding mothers
(PAHO/WHO)– As World Breastfeeding Week unfolds under the theme “Prioritize breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems,” the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF are calling on governments and health systems worldwide to invest in breastfeeding support to improve infant health and development. In the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) echoes this call, highlighting regional efforts to boost breastfeeding rates and protect mothers from commercial pressures.
In a joint statement issued on 4 August 2025, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell emphasized that breastfeeding is a baby’s first defense against diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia, acting as their “first vaccine.” Yet, only 48% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed globally, far from the 60% target set by the World Health Assembly for 2030.
The statement points to gaps in health systems as a key barrier. Only one in five countries trains doctors and nurses in infant feeding, leaving many mothers without proper guidance after childbirth. Under-resourced and fragmented health systems often fail to provide consistent breastfeeding support, despite its proven benefits: every dollar invested in breastfeeding yields US$35 in economic returns.
Breastfeeding in the Americas: Progress and challenges
Drawing from data published in 2024, PAHO reports that in Latin America and the Caribbean, 52% of newborns are breastfed within the first hour of birth, and 43% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed. However, these rates drop to 37% across the broader Americas region and 27% in North America.
Only 19 of the 35 countries and territories in the region have adopted legal measures to partially or fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which protects breastfeeding from commercial influences.
To address these challenges, PAHO is supporting countries through initiatives like the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which creates supportive environments for breastfeeding in healthcare facilities. The organization also aids in monitoring compliance with the Code and developing national policies to promote optimal infant feeding, aligning with WHO and UNICEF’s Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding and PAHO’s efforts to prevent childhood obesity.
The WHO and UNICEF statement calls for action to strengthen health systems by:
- ensuring adequate investment in equitable, quality maternal and newborn care, including breastfeeding support services;
- increasing national budget allocations for breastfeeding programmes;
- integrating breastfeeding counselling and support into routine maternal and child health services, including antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care;
- ensuring all health service providers are equipped with the skills and knowledge required to support breastfeeding, including in emergency and humanitarian settings;
- strengthening community health systems to provide every new mother with ongoing, accessible breastfeeding support to for up to two years and beyond; and
- protecting breastfeeding by ensuring that the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is applied in all health facilities and systems.
“Strengthening health systems to support breastfeeding is not just a health imperative — it is a moral and economic imperative,” the WHO and UNICEF leaders stated, pledging to remain committed to supporting countries in building resilient systems that leave no mother or child behind.
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