Cairo, 12 March 2023 – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell delivered an opening speech via video at the Fourth World Breastfeeding Conference, held in Cairo from 12 to 14 March.
The conference is organised by the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) Arab World, under the auspices of Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, and is sponsored by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the Egyptian Lactation Consultants Association and the Sharjah Child Friendly Office.
In her remarks, Catherine Russell stated:
“No matter where children are born in the world, breastfeeding gives them the best start in life. It helps protect babies from common infectious diseases, which can be fatal. Breastfeeding also strengthens children’s immune systems and reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes. And it provides children with the nutrients their growing bodies and brains need to reach their full potential.”
According to UNICEF and WHO, the proportion of babies under six months of age who are exclusively breastfed has reached 48%. This represents an increase of 10 percentage points over the past decade and is close to the World Health Assembly target of 50% by 2025.
Despite progress, UNICEF highlighted significant challenges: in 2021, less than half of newborns were breastfed within the first hour of life; donor funding for support programmes remains inadequate; only 10% of countries provide the recommended standard of 18 weeks of fully paid maternity leave; and only 20% legislate for the mandatory provision of paid breaks and breastfeeding facilities in the workplace.
In this context, UNICEF is urging governments, donors and civil society partners to step up efforts to promote, protect and support breastfeeding. Priority actions include: increasing investment in services for mothers, equipping health and nutrition professionals with proper training, and implementing family-friendly policies to ensure that women have the time and space they need to breastfeed.
During the conference, UNICEF supported the participation of 100 Egyptian breastfeeding advocates as well as government and civil society decision-makers, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of health professionals and helping more mothers to breastfeed their children.
Read the full statement on the UNICEF Egypt website
