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How USAID Champions Breastfeeding within the Health System

Photo Credit: Naziru Muzungu/Malaika Media for JSI

Optimal breastfeeding practices can support the health and wellbeing of both mothers and children, but nutrition services like skilled breastfeeding counseling, are often neglected within the basic package of essential primary health care services, and the World Health Organization reports that 55 countries face a severe shortage of health workers—further limiting health systems’ ability to be responsive to the nutrition needs of families. 

Achieving optimal breastfeeding goals requires collective responsibility. That’s why USAID is committed to supporting communities around the world to train and retain health workers to deliver critical health and nutrition services, including breastfeeding counseling, for moms and babies.  

USAID promotes health and nutrition of moms and babies by supporting health workers to:

• Provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments
• Increase quality lactation education and care
• Integrate breastfeeding services into routine service delivery

Scaling up breastfeeding practices, like early initiation of breastfeeding after birth and exclusive breastfeeding for up to six months, has the potential to save an additional 823,000 children under 5-years-old and 20,000 women each year.

Recognize World Breastfeeding Week With Us

• Read: A Collective Responsibility: How USAID inspires support for breastfeeding around the world
• Join: Our partners at MOMENTUM Global and Country Leadership for a webinar on the connection between breastfeeding and maternal mental health on August 29th
• Share: Breastfeeding: Providing a Healthy Start for a Healthy Future fact sheet, available in both French and Spanish, that explains why breastfeeding is a cornerstone of USAID’s approach to combating malnutrition 
• Explore: More of USAID’s efforts to support breastfeeding around the world