Harare – From August 1 to 7, the world celebrates World Breastfeeding Week. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and optimal early childhood development, providing babies with their first immunization and all the nutrients required for their optimal brain development and growth. However, many mothers and infants lack the necessary support to start and continue breastfeeding successfully. Globally, only 44 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of life. This figure is 42 per cent in Zimbabwe, falling short of the Sustainable Development Goal target of at least 70 per cent by 2030.

Zimbabwe has active structures and policies to promote optimal infant and young child feeding. Nevertheless, many Zimbabwean infants and young children are not breastfed. The 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) report indicates that only two thirds (59 per cent) of children are breastfed within the first one hour after birth. Only 42 per cent of children 0 to 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed. Although more than 80 per cent of children continue to be breastfed at one year, many children stop being breastfed before they reach the recommended 24 months.

The proportion of children 0 to 23 months of age who are fed using bottles is increasing at 23.7 per cent, a more than 10 percent increase over the past five years. This increase in the use of bottles threatens not only breastfeeding's natural processes but also the environment

Over the past years, Zimbabwe has witnessed increased aggressive promotional activities by manufacturers of breast milk substitutes through health workers and the promotion of specific products covered under the Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes, including formula milk and follow-on milks marketed as ‘supplementary’ to breastfeeding. Marketing influences social norms by making formula use seem extensive, modern, and comparable to or better than breast milk.

To address this, comprehensive breastfeeding support must be available to all mothers, regardless of their circumstances. This includes paid maternity leave, access to unbiased and medically sound information on first foods for infants and working environments that allow mothers to breastfeed. Young and working mothers, mothers with disabilities as well as those living in poverty, with HIV and in emergency situations all require tailored information, counselling, and practical assistance to breastfeed.

The Government of Zimbabwe, with support from UNICEF, recently reviewed the national Infant Nutrition Regulations: SI-46 of 1998 to update national guidance in line with latest World Health Assembly principles and address the growing influence of digital media as a source of information and a platform for aggressive marketing and advertising.

The health sector alone will not yield the desired outcomes for supporting and promoting breastfeeding.  Hence, the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF and the World Health Organization call for action for a whole-of-society multi-sectoral approach to support breastfeeding in the Country, which includes (1) legislation: ratification by Zimbabwe of the updated Statutory Instrument 46 on Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes; (2) health systems: strengthen the protection and promotion of breastfeeding through the health delivery system with an emphasis on the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative; (3) advocacy and communication: implement a well-coordinated national social and behaviour change strategy including through breastfeeding campaigns; (4) monitoring and reporting: enforcement of regulations, monitoring of violations and marketing activities; (5) breastfeeding interventions: promotion of workplace breastfeeding spaces and family-friendly workspaces, and strengthening maternity protection regulations.

Inaction towards protecting and promoting breastfeeding in Zimbabwe will significantly put the country off-track towards economic and developmental aspirations by (1) undermining children’s constitutional and international rights to good nutrition as outlined in the Zimbabwe Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of Children; (2) undoing decades of investment in policymaking and programming aimed at protecting women’s right to breastfeeding; (3) regressing on national progress on infant and young child nutrition which has been prioritized as a key primary health care intervention immediately after independence; Zimbabwe has long been recognized globally as a leading example in stepping up efforts for the protection and promotion of breastfeeding; (4) downplaying the conflict of interest presented by breast milk substitute manufacturers who are profit oriented at the cost of child survival and optimal long-term development; and (5) predisposing Zimbabwean women and children to a never-ending cycle of poverty, sub-optimal early childhood development and disease.

Therefore, for World Breastfeeding Week 2024, the Government of Zimbabwe, UNICEF and the World Health Organization together with their partners aim to (1) inform people about the benefits of breastfeeding and the inequalities that exist in breastfeeding support and prevalence across rural and urban areas, education and employment status and wealth quintiles; (2) anchor breastfeeding as an equaliser to close gaps in information, promotion and support within society; (3) engage with individuals and organizations to enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding; and (4) galvanise action on reducing inequalities in breastfeeding support by focusing on vulnerable groups.

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For more information, please contact:  

Mr Donald Mujiri, Director Public Relations, Ministry of Health and Child Care, dmujiri [at] gmail.com (dmujiri[at]gmail[dot]com), +263 712867337;

Mr Yves Willemot, Chief Communication, UNICEF, ywillemot [at] unicef.org (ywillemot[at]unicef[dot]org), +263 772124268;