Breastmilk can save 820,000 lives a year

The WHO recommends badfeeding as the only food for the baby up to the age of six months, and then continuation, in combination with complementary feeding, up to two months. years or older.

In fact, bad milk contains the essential nutrients in the right proportions for a healthy development of the child, reduces the risk of allergies, is available at any time and is free.

It also has health benefits for the mother, since it reduces the risk of postpartum hemorrhages, osteoporosis after menopause and bad and ovarian cancer. However, about 40% of children in the world are not badfed.

In 2012, World Health Assembly Resolution 65.6 supported a comprehensive implementation plan on maternal, infant and young child nutrition, in which six global nutrition goals were set for 2025.

The document "Live & Trive" refers to the fifth of these objectives: increase the rate of exclusive badfeeding by at least 50% during the first 6 months of the baby's life. This practice is the preventive intervention that has the greatest potential impact on infant mortality.

Worldwide, only 38% of infants under 6 months benefit from exclusive badfeeding. Recent badyzes indicate that suboptimal rates, including non-exclusive badfeeding, contribute to 11.6% of mortality among children under 5 years of age. In 2011, about 804,000 child deaths were registered.

According to the WHO, to intensify efforts to increase exclusive badfeeding rates, one must act at different levels: health systems, communities and policies.

The data show that countries whose policies and programs most closely align with the recommendations of the WHO Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding and the United Nations Children's Fund for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Childhood (UNICEF) succeed the best. they have when it comes to increasing the numbers of exclusive badfeeding.

Therefore, emphasizes the initiative "Live & Trive", it is important to create an enabling environment through policies and laws.