UNICEF Executive Director Henrita Four and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebre-Jesus have a joint statement on World Breastfeeding Week.

Earlier this year, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector launched a joint venture Nutrition for Action Year. The Year of Action is a historic opportunity to change the way the world reacts to child malnutrition.

Breastfeeding is central to this commitment.

Starting breastfeeding in the first hour after birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continuing for two years or more, provides a strong defense against all malnutrition, including weight loss and obesity. Breastfeeding is also the first vaccine to protect children against many common childhood illnesses.

Although breastfeeding rates have increased over the past four decades, with only 50 percent of global breastfeeding prevalence – the COVID-19 epidemic shows a weakening of those findings.

In many countries, the epidemic has increased the risk of malnutrition and malnutrition, leading to significant disruptions in breastfeeding support services. Breastfeeding manufacturers claim that breastfeeding can transmit COVID-19, and many countries have reported that they are meeting these concerns by marketing their products as a safer alternative to breastfeeding.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week, under the themePrevent Breastfeeding Joint Responsibility ‘ It is time to revisit the commitments made earlier this year, prioritizing areas suitable for breastfeeding for mothers and infants. This includes:

• Established to protect mothers of the infant food industry from traumatic marketing practices – Ensuring International Trade for Breastfeeding Substances – is fully implemented by governments, health workers and industry.
• Ensure that health care workers have the resources and information needed to breastfeed mothers through international efforts. Pediatric hospital-friendly initiatives, And Instructions on breastfeeding advice.
• Ensure employers allow women time and space to breastfeed; Including paid parental leave with extended maternity leave; Safe places to breastfeed in the workplace; Access to affordable and good quality child care; And universal child benefits and adequate wages.

As we approach it United Nations Conference on Food Systems In September and Tokyo Nutrition for Development Conference In December, governments, donors, civil society and the private sector have the opportunity to make smart investments and commitments, including to prevent, promote and support global malnutrition through strong policies, programs and practices.

Now is not the time to vacillate. Now is the time to set a goal. We are committed to doing so Nutrition for Action Year Success by ensuring that every child has the right to a balanced, safe and nutritious diet and adequate nutrition from the beginning of life.

About UNICEF

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About WHO

The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. A.D. Founded in 1948, the World Health Organization works with 194 member states, six regions, and 149 offices to promote health, protect the world, and serve vulnerable people. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to provide universal health coverage to one billion more people, to protect one billion more people from health emergencies, and to provide better health and safety for an additional billion people.

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