PHM-Exch> Fwd: Online consultation (until 8 September 2019) - an opportunity for an exclusive breastfeeding indicator in SDG 2

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) <waba at waba.org.my>



Online consultation (until 8 September 2019) - an opportunity for an
exclusive breastfeeding indicator in SDG 2

If we were able to get EBF included as an SDG 2 indicator, it would be an
incredible win for our breastfeeding advocacy work.

What can you do?

   - You can send your comments/inputs individually or on behalf of your
   organisation to support the inclusion of EBF as an SDG indicator
   - You can help mobilise some of the Member States (national programme
   and national statistics offices (especially for the Member States who are
   currently members of the IAEG-SDG). See the list here
   <https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=da3d058111&e=858833e631>
   .

Here is some rationale for the inclusion of EBF that you may want to build
on
*Rationale:*

   - It is a WHA target that all member states, as well as many development
   partners, have endorsed.
   - *Data availability*.  there are 140 countries with data on EBF in the
   UNICEF IYCF database, 69 of these in the last 5 years. EBF is already
   routinely included in global reports every year, including the Global
   Nutrition Report, the State of Food Security and Nutrition, and the Global
   Breastfeeding Scorecard.
   - *Importance of breastfeeding and its relevance to other SDGs*.  It is
   a key indicator reflecting optimal breastfeeding practices, which is
   essential to child survival and well-being. Exclusive breastfeeding has the
   largest potential impact on child mortality of any preventive
   interventions. The lack of breastfeeding has huge implications for
   development. It is estimated that not breastfeeding according to
   recommendation leads to 823,000 deaths in children under five and nearly
   100,000 maternal deaths from breast and ovarian cancers and type II
   diabetes each year. The overall economic loss attributable to inadequate
   breastfeeding rates is estimated at USD 302 billion in healthcare costs
   annually.
   - *Wording of SDG 2.2*. The SDG target calls for ending “all forms of
   malnutrition” and specifically calls out the nutritional needs of lactating
   women, but there is currently no consideration given to breastfeeding in
   the SDG indicators.


If you have little time, you may paste this paragraph:

Exclusive breastfeeding offers the best source of nutrition for young
infants. Breastmilk is more than just food for babies, it is also a potent
medicine for disease prevention that is tailored to the needs of each
child; breast milk shapes the baby’s microbiome, strengthens the immune
system, and reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases.  There is
overwhelming evidence that breastfeeding is a cornerstone of child
survival; in low- and middle-income countries, infants who received foods
and liquids in addition to breastmilk before 6 months were up to 2.8 times
more likely to die than those who were exclusively breastfed (Sankar et al.
2017).  It protects against pneumonia and diarrhoea, the two leading
killers of children under five and the impact on childhood infections exist
in rich and poor countries alike. The UK Millennium Cohort Survey estimated
that if all children in the United Kingdom were breastfed exclusively for
six months, it could prevent 53 per cent of hospital admissions for
diarrhoea, and 27 per cent of hospitalizations for lower respiratory
infections each month (Quigley et al 2007).  In addition to giving every
child the same opportunity to thrive, breastfeeding is one of the smartest
investments to boost human capital and stimulate economic growth; with low
rates of breastfeeding being responsible for losses of more than $230
billion annually in high-income countries, and $70 billion annually in low-
and middle-income countries (Rollins et al. 2016).  Furthermore, monitoring
of exclusive breastfeeding is not only technically feasible due to
availability of a global database with estimates for approximately 140
countries, but politically feasible given commitment of all member states
to regularly report on this indicator until at least 2030 through the World
Health Assembly (WHA) Nutrition Targets. Additionally, it is a
long-standing standard indicator for which a time series is available for a
large number of countries.

Remember that the consultation will run through *8 September 2019* and can
be accessed at http://bit.ly/2020Review_Consult
<https://waba.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9c4737de875c6fa12b87991e8&id=dbaf0de93e&e=858833e631>
.


Amal Omer-Salim, PhD
Executive Director
  (WABA)
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