Global Nutrition Targets 2030 Breastfeeding Brief from WHO and UNICEF PDF
Overview
Exclusive breastfeeding – defined as the practice of only giving an infant breast-milk for the first 6 months of life (no other food or water) – has the single largest potential impact on child mortality of any preventive intervention. Exclusive breastfeeding provides essential, irreplaceable nutrition for a child’s growth and development. It provides protection from respiratory infections, diarrhoeal disease, and other potentially life-threatening ailments. Exclusive breastfeeding also has a protective effect against obesity and certain noncommunicable diseases later in life.
As of 2024, nearly half (48%) of infants under six months were exclusively breastfed, bringing the world close to the 50% target set for 2025. Building on this progress, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Member States at the 78th World Health Assembly passed a resolution to raise the target to 60% and extend the timeline to 2030. This extension provides an opportunity for stakeholders to intensify focus, investment, and coordinated action to support exclusive breastfeeding. The purpose of this brief is to highlight the interventions and policies needed to achieve the revised 60% target by 2030.
“Breastfeeding provides essential nutrition for infants and young children. It makes an irreplaceable contribution to their growth and development. It protects infants from respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and other potentially life-threatening ailments. Protecting and supporting breastfeeding is recognized as a critical component of securing children’s inalienable right to survival, development and the highest attainable standard of health. Exclusive breastfeeding has the single largest impact on child mortality of any preventive intervention. Globally, poor breastfeeding practices, including not breastfeeding exclusively, contribute to an estimated 11.6% of mortality in children under five years of age. Infants under six months of age who are not exclusively breastfed are much more likely to die in infancy than those who are. All-cause mortality in infants 0–5 months of age is almost five times greater among those who are partially breastfed and more than 14 times greater among infants who are not breastfed at all compared to those exclusively breastfed.”
Global nutrition targets 2030: breastfeeding brief, WHO 22.10.2025. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/B09382