National Campaign for the Promotion of Breastfeeding
As part of its ongoing commitment to maternal and child health and nutrition, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, in partnership with the National Initiative for Human Development, will launch the 15th edition of the National Awareness Campaign on the importance of breastfeeding from October 20 to November 20, 2025, under the theme: “Optimal breastfeeding: an essential pillar for child health during the first thousand days of life.”
This campaign aims to highlight the crucial role of breastfeeding in ensuring healthy and balanced growth for children—physically, cognitively, and emotionally. It aligns with international guidelines that recognize breastfeeding as one of the most effective methods for preventing malnutrition and chronic diseases while promoting cognitive and emotional development in infants. Breastfeeding also offers numerous benefits for mothers, including a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer as well as other health issues.
The World Health Organization recommends initiating breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and continuing it alongside complementary feeding until the age of two or beyond. The World Health Assembly has established a global target aimed at achieving a 50% rate of exclusive breastfeeding by 2025.
This initiative is part of the implementation of the National Communication Strategy for Social and Behavioral Change, which aims to promote healthy and positive nutritional practices during the first thousand days of a child’s life, particularly through the encouragement of early and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
To this end, an integrated action plan has been established. It includes the development of regional programs aligned with national guidelines, organizing awareness sessions at the community level targeting mothers and the public, mobilizing healthcare professionals, community advocates, and local media, strengthening the “Baby-Friendly Hospitals” initiative, and rigorously applying the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
Through this campaign, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection reaffirms its steadfast commitment to providing every child with the conditions necessary for a healthy life from their earliest days, while improving public health indicators and contributing to the development of human capital, aiming for a better future for the generations to come.
