VOANews.com - WHO, UNICEF Launch Strategy to Encourage BreastfeedingSteve Baragona
Washington
12 Apr 2004, 22:49 UTC
"UNICEF and the World Health Organization have launched a global strategy to encourage breastfeeding. Currently, UNICEF figures show only 39 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed their children for the first six months of life. The new action plan aims to double that figure over the next decade. Experts say breastfeeding makes for healthier babies. Mother's milk provides the best nutrition, and protects babies from diseases. But UNICEF's Miriam Labbok notes that the aggressive international marketing of infant formula has contributed to the decline of breastfeeding. ..."