Ensuring that every child in Maldives receives the healthiest start in life

This World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF celebrates all mothers in Maldives, and around the world who are going through this rewarding, yet challenging journey to give their children the best start in life.

Breastfeeding is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to support the health, nutrition, and development of young children. It provides essential nutrients, strengthens immunity, lowers the risk of childhood illnesses, and fosters a strong emotional bond between mother and child. It also helps reduce malnutrition, prevent childhood obesity, and lower long-term health care costs.

In line with this, UNICEF and WHO recommend that breastfeeding begins within the first hour of birth and continues exclusively for the first six months of life. This period of exclusive breastfeeding ensures bonding between mother and child, promotes optimal sensory and cognitive development while protecting babies from both infectious and chronic diseases.

In Maldives, where every child’s right to survive and thrive is at the heart of our national priorities, supporting breastfeeding is an investment in a healthier, more prosperous future.

This year’s global theme, “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems” is a powerful reminder that mothers cannot and should not be expected to go through the breastfeeding journey alone. Sustainable support means:

1. Ensuring mothers have access to trained health workers who offer skilled, empathetic counselling from the early moments after birth and throughout the breastfeeding journey.
2. Designing workplace policies that protect maternity leave and provide time and space to breastfeed or express milk.
3. Nurturing a community and family environment that affirms breastfeeding as the norm, not the exception.

Whether at the hospital, in the office, or at home, we all have a role to play in making breastfeeding possible. Fathers play a vital role in this journey through emotional encouragement, sharing responsibilities at home, and standing with mothers every step of the way.

At UNICEF, we are proud to support the Government, healthcare providers and communities to strengthen maternal and child health systems. Today and every day, we continue to advocate for strengthening the quality of antenatal and postnatal care, expanding baby friendly hospitals across the country and educating the community on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

When we invest in strong support systems, we create a safety net that empowers every mother and increases every child’s ability to reach their full potential.

On this World Breastfeeding Week, let us recommit to ensuring that no mother feels alone, no baby is left behind, and every child in Maldives receives the healthiest start in life. Let us continue to build a future where breastfeeding is supported everywhere, by everyone.

This article is first published at UNICEF Maldives website on Ensuring that every child in Maldives receives the healthiest start in life

To learn more about the works of UNICEF Maldives Please visit | https://www.unicef.org/maldives/