Breastfeeding should be the best anywhere, anytime
SA needs to create an environment that supports women in feeding their babies wherever they need to, Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla says
Breastfeeding saves lives, and SA needs to create an environment that supports women in feeding their babies wherever they need to. This was the message from Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla at the second World Breastfeeding Conference in Johannesburg. The global rate for exclusive breastfeeding has increased only slightly in recent years, to 39% in 2015 from 32.6% in 2012. In SA, the Department of Health estimates 40% of mothers breastfeed exclusively for 14 weeks, but this figure is much lower by the time infants are six months old. "Here is my main message to everyone in SA: mothers need to be encouraged to breastfeed whenever the baby needs the milk, wherever they are," Phaahla said. "There is compelling scientific evidence that optimal breastfeeding of infants under one year could prevent about a million deaths of children under five years in low-and middle-income countries," Phaahla told the conference on Sunday. Breastfeeding could also prevent childhood obesity and improve...
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