Gearing up to improve exclusive breastfeeding practices in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: South Africa has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates on the African continent. Globally, just 44% of infants are breastfed soon after birth, and 40% of those less than six months old are exclusively breastfed. To improve infant nutrition by 2025, the United Nations established targets to eliminate malnutrition and increase exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates to at least 50%. Despite the WHO Code regulations endorsed by the World Health Assembly since 1981, breaches continue to be prevalent due to a combination of weak implementation, monitoring and enforcement in low-to-middle income countries. Over the years, infant formula sales in LMICs (including South Africa) have skyrocketed contributing to excess infant morbidity and mortality. To that end, the specific aims of this study was to g

SUBMITTER: Vitalis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8912204 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature