Breastfeeding: Key to sustainable development
There has been overwhelming evidence that breastfeeding benefits women, children, as well as communities and societies. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to save and improve the lives of children everywhere, yielding lifelong health benefits for infants and their mothers.
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These and other reasons, therefore, account for the observance of World Breastfeeding Week every year, from August 1 to 7 in all parts of the world. By recognising that breastfeeding is key to sustainable development, people will value their wellbeing from the start of life, respect each other and care for the world they share.
In low, middle and high-income countries alike, the benefits for individuals, families and societies include ending preventable child deaths, improving maternal and child health, boosting educational attainment, and increasing productivity.
Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development, is the joint message by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the World Breastfeeding Week, 2016.
And increasingly, it is clear that breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy development; it is also the foundation of a country’s development. In fact, supporting breastfeeding is one of the smartest investments countries can make in the wellbeing of their citizens — and thus, in their own long-term strength.
Raising awareness
The theme for the World Breastfeeding Week 2016 focuses on raising awareness on the links between breastfeeding and some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Increasing the rates of breastfeeding worldwide is a fundamental driver in achieving the SDGs by 2030 and underscores the links between investing in breastfeeding and achieving the universal global goals adopted by world leaders in 2015 that aim to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change by 2030.
Rapid progress in breastfeeding rate is possible, and there is a need to invest in policies and programmes that support women’s breastfeeding decisions.
Breastfeeding is one of the keys to reducing under-five mortality, representing around 13 per cent of all under-five child deaths annually.
Breastfeeding also improves long-term health, decreasing the risk of non-communicable diseases, including childhood asthma and obesity. It can reduce the chance of diabetes and heart disease later in life. And longer duration of breastfeeding protects maternal health, helping reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
Breastfeeding also can help drive the achievement of SDG 2 and SDG 3 — which include ending hunger, improving nutrition and promoting health and wellbeing, as well as SDG 4, which includes inclusive education and lifelong learning. Significantly, this goal also sets a target for early childhood development, identifying it as a crucial path to all sustainable development.
Breastfeeding is an essential part of a healthy early childhood, supporting both physical and cognitive development, associated with higher cognitive ability, increased I.Q. scores and better learning and literacy outcomes, all of which can translate into increased productivity and earnings later in life.
Improved outcomes
These improved outcomes in health and learning in turn support the achievement of other goals, including SDG 1, 8 and 10, which concern ending poverty, promoting economic growth and reducing inequalities.
Breastfeeding can also play a role in achieving gender equality, the central focus of SDG 5. For example, exclusive breastfeeding can promote birth-spacing — enabling women to delay subsequent pregnancy and empowering them to exercise greater reproductive autonomy, especially in countries and communities where women have limited access to quality contraceptive information and care. In turn, this can increase the ability of women and girls to return to school, and to work outside the home and better support their families.
Despite the evidence that breastfeeding benefits women, children, as well as communities and societies, breastfeeding rates have remained stagnant for the last 20 years, as too many children are missing out on this tremendous boost to their health and wellbeing. Too many women are not receiving the information and support they need to breastfeed successfully.
We can make faster progress towards all our development goals by better promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding. Now, as governments around the world develop budgets and action plans to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, breastfeeding must be a policy, programming, and public spending priority.
For only greater political commitment, matched with practical action can make breastfeeding a part of every child’s healthy start in life, and every society’s healthier, more equitable and more sustainable.
We all have a part to play in achieving these goals by helping us promote, educate and encourage support for breastfeeding mothers and join the conversation to help raise awareness and do our part in achieving the world's Sustainable Development Goals.
