World Breastfeeding Week organized in Nepal

Nepali government is organizing various programs on Aug 1-7 to mark the World Breastfeeding Week under the theme of "Understanding the Past - Planning the Future".

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The programs, including counseling, interactions and distribution of posters and pamphlets from health centers across the country, are being organized as per the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding endorsed by the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund executive board in 2002.

Nepal has adopted a strategy to promote exclusive breastfeeding- -the practice of keeping a child on a steady diet of nothing but mother's milk right from birth up until six months of age--as defined by the WHO.

The government has envisioned the promotion of breastfeeding along with various awareness campaigns to inspire mothers for breastfeeding through the National Nutrition Policy and Strategy 2004.

Stepping up its policy and strategy, the government certified seven hospitals in the country as Baby Friendly Hospital Initiatives, whose prime focus would be promoting breastfeeding.

According to Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS)-2006, the number of mothers who are exclusively breastfeeding their children has decreased from 68 percent in 2001 to 53 percent in 2006. However, new NDHS-2011 brings positive news with 70 percent of infants being exclusively breastfed.