Published: 7 August 2025

Breastfeeding stands as one of the simplest, most powerful and accessible ways to protect the health of children. As World Breastfeeding Week draws to a close, it brings home the fact that supporting mothers to breastfeed is about saving lives and helping communities thrive.

This year’s theme, “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents,” is a reminder that, while a natural process, breastfeeding does not just happen, especially in today’s world. It must be supported, enabled, and protected by families, communities, health systems, and governments working together to make it possible.

Essential protection and nourishment

In Africa, breastfeeding is more than a bonding act between mother and child, it is a life-saving act. In the earliest months of life, when children are most vulnerable to disease, breastfeeding provides essential protection and nourishment.

Breast milk is rich in antibodies, essential fats, and nutrients tailored to a baby’s needs. It offers immunity and safety, especially in places where clean water and food security are limited. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months strengthens a baby’s immune system, helping prevent infections and reduce the severity of illnesses, including malaria.

Monitoring breastfeeding and other RMNCAH indicators in country scorecards

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) recognises that breastfeeding is part of a broader system that links maternal and child health, nutrition, and disease prevention. This is why we support country-led scorecards, including the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition scorecard tools. These scorecards monitor key interventions, including skilled delivery, when a trained health professional assists a mother during childbirth. Skilled delivery increases the chances that mothers will receive immediate support to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, a key step toward long-term breastfeeding success.

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding through the first year are also tracked in the country scorecard tools, with actions identified to address underperformance. 

Used at both national and subnational levels, these scorecards help leaders identify what is working and where more support is needed. Aligned with the Africa Regional Nutrition Strategy and Agenda 2063, they reflect the continent’s commitment to maternal and child nutrition as a driver of development.

For example, in Tanzania’s Morogoro region, scorecard data helped identify gaps in infant feeding support. Local leaders responded by training community health workers, forming mothers’ clubs, and integrating breastfeeding counseling into health facility visits. As a result, counselling rates on infant feeding rose from 39% to 82% in just one year.

Prioritising child health

As Africa strives to prioritise child health and nutrition as a foundation for sustainable development, economic growth, and social wellbeing, breastfeeding must remain central to the conversation. These are not separate challenges, they are interconnected. A well-nourished child is not only more likely to grow and develop well, but also more capable of resisting and recovering from illness. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life significantly increases a child’s chances of surviving and thriving. As such, when countries invest in systems that support mothers through trained health workers, breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and accessible nutrition counselling, they are strengthening the resilience of their children and future generations.

This World Breastfeeding Week, ALMA celebrates the governments, communities, and caregivers who make breastfeeding possible and those whowork tirelessly to nurture the continent’s youngest generation. We reaffirm our commitment to advancing maternal and child health, supporting scorecard adoption, and ensuring that nutrition is never an afterthought in Africa’s health agenda. Because the story of resilience begins n with the first act of love – a mother choosing to breastfeed.