UNICEF and WHO Urge Countries to Enhance Breastfeeding Support for Child Health
UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) are calling on countries to strengthen their health systems to provide better support for breastfeeding. This initiative is part of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, themed 'Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.' The organizations emphasize the importance of breastfeeding as a simple yet powerful method to improve child health, offering essential nutrition, boosting immunity, and supporting cognitive development. Despite global improvements, with exclusive breastfeeding rates rising from 37% in 2012 to over 47% today, many regions still fall short of global targets. The call to action includes expanding community-based counseling, enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, and investing in maternity leave and workplace policies. The organizations highlight that scaling up breastfeeding could prevent nearly 400,000 child deaths and 140,000 maternal deaths annually, with significant economic returns. 
