[child-rights] UNICEF: Breastfeeding can save over 1 million lives yearly

***Learn more about this topic in HREA's study guide on the right to food
& water: http://www.hrea.org/learn/guides/food.html


World breastfeeding week starts August 1

UNICEF Press release

NEW YORK, 30 July 2004 – On the eve of World Breastfeeding Week UNICEF
said that by expanding the number of women who exclusively breastfeed
during their child's first six months, at least 1.3 million infant lives
could be saved this year. UNICEF also called for greater global commitment
to protect, and promote breastfeeding.

Every year more than 10 million children die from mainly preventable
causes, including diarrhoea, pneumonia, measles and malaria. If every baby
were exclusively breastfed from birth to six months, an estimated 3,500
children's lives could be saved each day, UNICEF said.

"Simply put, if a child dies a preventable death it's because mothers and
infants are not getting the basic support they need," said UNICEF
Executive Director Carol Bellamy. "Breastfeeding – the most natural act of
mother and newborn – has not been supported for what it is: the key to
good health and development for millions of children."

Bellamy said every mother who chooses to exclusively breastfeed for 6
months has the right to services and support from their governments,
communities and families.

Breastmilk contains all the nutrients, antibodies, hormones, immune
factors, and antioxidants that an infant needs to thrive during the first
six months of life. Additionally, human milk protects babies from
diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections and stimulates their immune
systems.

In the first two months of life, an infant who is not exclusively
breastfed is up to 25 times more likely to die from diarrhoea and four
times more likely to die from pneumonia than a non-breastfed baby. Growth
and development may stall and the child stands a greater risk of suffering
increased obesity, heart disease, and gastro-intestinal problems in later
years.

Yet globally only 39% of babies are being breastfed exclusively in the
first 6 months. Advocacy, increasing awareness, and action programmes to
support the immense, life-saving benefits of breastfeeding can begin to
reverse this. This week, more than 120 countries worldwide will take
action to bring attention to this issue by celebrating World Breastfeeding
Week 2004 "Exclusive Breastfeeding: The Gold Standard."

UNICEF supports breastfeeding by working with national governments on
policies and action programmes that protect, promote and support
breastfeeding, including legislation to protect against commercial bias,
health system training and services, and community mobilization.




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