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Urge Inside Health Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire

Ethiopia and WHO Push for Greater Investment in Breastfeeding Support

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — 10 August 2026

Ethiopia and the World Health Organization (WHO) are calling for increased investment in proven breastfeeding interventions, arguing that stronger support for mothers can improve child nutrition while contributing to wider maternal and family health outcomes.

The call was made during Ethiopia's commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, organised by the Ministry of Health with WHO Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau, UN agencies, development partners, health professionals and community representatives.

The global theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” focuses on expanding interventions with established evidence of improving breastfeeding outcomes.

WHO called for stronger infant and young-child feeding counselling during pregnancy and early childhood, expansion of the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, national breastfeeding campaigns, enforcement of regulations governing breast-milk substitute marketing, paid maternity leave and family-friendly social protection.

Ethiopia's Ministry of Health also reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing national legislation governing the marketing of breast-milk substitutes, including restrictions on inappropriate promotion of infant formula through mainstream and social media.

The development significance extends beyond nutrition. Breastfeeding sits at the intersection of child survival, maternal health, household economics and health-system support.

For Ethiopia and other East African countries, the challenge is increasingly one of implementation. Evidence-based interventions may exist, but their impact depends on whether mothers can access skilled counselling, supportive health facilities, adequate maternity protection and environments that make breastfeeding feasible.

WHO noted that many proven interventions remain underfunded or insufficiently implemented.

The policy message is therefore straightforward: improving breastfeeding outcomes requires investment not only in mothers and children, but also in the systems surrounding them.

Source: WHO Regional Office for Africa / Ministry of Health Ethiopia

Urge Inside Health Desk| East Africa. Urge- DevWire