ILCA welcomes the Director-General’s report on Acceleration towards the Sustainable Development Goal targets for maternal health and child mortality, and notes that one of the largest gaps is in breastfeeding rates. Improving breastfeeding initiation and continuation also impacts other SDGs, including under-5 mortality, stunting, and wasting.

ILCA urges Member States to provide greater investment in breastfeeding protection and support. In particular, providing evidence-based lactation education to physicians, nurses, and midwives, as well as increasing training of community health workers, and supporting development of lactation professionals, are proven steps to help reach the SDG targets.

In order to create an enabling environment for breastfeeding, countries also need to implement the Code and subsequent resolutions, and include digital marketing restrictions.