Accra: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ghana has joined the global community in commemorating World Breastfeeding Week, proposing the establishment of sustainable support systems to empower mothers to breastfeed safely and successfully across all settings.
According to Ghana News Agency, World Breastfeeding Week, marked annually during the first week of August, serves as a global platform to promote breastfeeding as a cornerstone of child survival, growth, and lifelong health. This year's theme, 'Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,' underscores the urgent need for inclusive and long-term structures that support breastfeeding in homes, communities, health facilities, and workplaces.
UNICEF Ghana, in a press statement issued in Accra, emphasized that sustainable systems must include legal frameworks, workplace policies, healthcare practices, and community engagement to ensure that no mother is left alone to navigate breastfeeding challenges. UNICEF and the World Health Organization recommend that newborns be breastfed within the first hour of birth and exclusively for the first six months of life without any other food or liquids. After six months, babies should be introduced to safe and nutritionally adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed up to two years or beyond.
Despite progress made, UNICEF Ghana noted challenges that need attention and redress. Nationally, the exclusive breastfeeding rate for infants under six months has stagnated at 52.6% for the past two decades. Early initiation of breastfeeding is delayed for 41.8% of newborns, with significant disparities across regions. In Greater Accra, Ahafo, and Eastern Regions, more than half of babies are not breastfed within the first hour after birth. The median duration of exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana is 2.9 months, far below the global recommendation of six months. In regions such as Western North, the average duration is only one month, while in the Savannah region, it is about 4.9 months.
A notable milestone in Ghana's breastfeeding journey is the passage of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1667, which regulates the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. This law prohibits promotion, advertising, and distribution of formula and breast milk supplements, including bottles, teats, and pacifiers in health facilities. It also bans the provision of free samples to healthcare workers, reinforcing the national recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods up to two years or beyond. To enhance enforcement, the Food and Drugs Authority introduced a QR Code system allowing the public to report violations of the law, promoting accountability and citizen participation.
UNICEF Ghana reiterated its commitment to supporting the Government of Ghana in ensuring mothers receive the help they need, including building the capacity of health professionals to offer skilled, empathetic counseling throughout a mother's breastfeeding journey. The statement advocated workplace policies that respect and protect a woman's right to breastfeed and strengthening community support networks that provide consistent and accessible assistance. When healthcare, workplace, and community support work in harmony, they create a strong safety net for mothers and babies.
UNICEF Ghana calls on all relevant actors to ensure adequate funding for breastfeeding programs, protect breastfeeding from commercial influence by fully implementing the Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in all health facilities, strengthen breastfeeding support within health institutions, and build stronger community structures that provide continuous support to breastfeeding mothers. UNICEF, the world's leading child rights organization, operates in over 190 countries and territories to protect and promote the rights of every child, focusing on ensuring children everywhere can grow up healthy, educated, and protected.
