Kenya’s progress in protecting babies through breastfeeding has reached a new level, with the country recording a 60 per cent exclusive breastfeeding rate, well ahead of the global average of slightly more than 47 per cent.
The latest figure means six out of every 10 Kenyan babies are fed only breast milk during their first six months, placing the country among those that have met the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef global nutrition target for exclusive breastfeeding.
The achievement marks a sharp change from two decades ago, when only 13.2 per cent of Kenyan babies were exclusively breastfed in 2003.
Unicef said the steady rise in breastfeeding has contributed to reducing infant deaths, but warned that the national figure does not tell the whole story. Nearly four in 10 babies in the country are still not receiving the full benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, with major differences recorded between counties.
The concern was raised during the national launch of World Breastfeeding Week in Murang’a County, where Assistant Director of Primary Healthcare Norbert Abuya, representing Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, called for greater attention to mothers and children who remain outside the gains recorded nationally.
“The figures are encouraging, but what happens to the child who is left behind? Statistics alone cannot improve the life of a baby who is not breastfed,” Abuya said.
Abuya said Kenya has also made progress in ensuring mothers receive skilled care during childbirth, with 89 per cent of births attended by skilled health workers.
However, he noted that the number of babies placed on the breast within the first hour after birth remains lower at 60 per cent.
Early breastfeeding gives newborns protection against infections and helps improve their chances of survival, making the first hours after delivery an important period for mothers and their babies.
Some counties have already moved beyond the national breastfeeding rate. Murang’a, for instance, has recorded an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 68 per cent.
According to Abuya, the county’s performance shows that stronger investment at the local level, combined with support from communities, can help more mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively.
Kenya’s progress comes against a wider improvement in breastfeeding across the world. WHO and Unicef said the global rate for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months has increased from about 37 per cent in 2012 to more than 47 per cent currently.
The agencies also reported an increase in the number of children who continue breastfeeding up to two years, with the rate rising from 38 per cent to 50 per cent over the past five years.
“These gains show that sustained investments in policies and programmes for mothers and families are working,” the agencies said.
Despite the progress, WHO and Unicef said many countries continue to face challenges in providing mothers with quality breastfeeding services. They also pointed to weak enforcement of breastfeeding policies and commercial pressure on mothers as barriers to further progress.
WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell urged governments to improve health systems, protect mothers against aggressive promotion of breast milk substitutes and provide better workplace support for women who breastfeed.
“Too many mothers and families around the world still lack access to services and interventions that enable and support breastfeeding,” the two leaders said in a joint statement.
“Yet breastfeeding is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to protect a child’s health. It provides infants and young children with essential nutrition, strengthens immunity, helps protect against serious illness and supports cognitive development.”
The two UN agencies said breastfeeding also supports the health of mothers, lowering their risk of breast and ovarian cancers as well as type 2 diabetes.
WHO and Unicef said countries can improve breastfeeding outcomes by putting proven measures in place. These include providing skilled breastfeeding counselling in health facilities, strengthening community support programmes, offering paid maternity leave and fully enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
The agencies said stronger breastfeeding support could have a major impact on the health of mothers and children globally, with nearly 400,000 child deaths and about 140,000 maternal deaths potentially prevented every year if breastfeeding was scaled up worldwide.
Beyond the health benefits, the agencies said breastfeeding also has an economic value. They estimate that every dollar spent on breastfeeding promotion brings about 59 dollars in economic returns through reduced healthcare costs, improved learning outcomes and increased lifetime earnings.
The global call comes during World Breastfeeding Week, being held under the theme ‘Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works’.
WHO and Unicef are urging countries to build on programmes that have already produced results while reaching mothers who continue to face barriers to breastfeeding.
“This World Breastfeeding Week, under the theme ‘Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works’, we are calling on countries to strengthen health systems, expand community-based counselling, fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and invest in paid maternity leave and supportive workplace policies,” the statement said.