The Paediatric Society of Ghana (PSG) and health advocates are sounding the alarm over Ghana’s slow progress in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), warning that without stronger support systems for mothers, the country risks compromising child survival and long-term national development.
Data from the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) reveals that only 47.4% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed — a marginal increase of 0.8% from 46.6% in 2002. The median breastfeeding duration stands at just 2.9 months, well below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of six months.
“This is a wake-up call,” said Professor Alexander A. Manu, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice, during the virtual launch of the 2025 National Breastfeeding Month themed “Strong Support for Strong Start: Empowering Mothers in Ghana to Breastfeed Everywhere.” “Breastmilk is free and has saved over 823,000 children under five in the past, yet we are failing to give our children this basic right.”
Health experts highlight that EBF provides unmatched nutritional benefits, boosts cognitive development, reduces diarrhoea cases by 40%, prevents certain maternal cancers, and cuts neonatal deaths by half. WHO estimates that increased breastfeeding globally could save over 820,000 children and 20,000 mothers annually.
Madam Fiona Braka, WHO’s Country Representative, stressed that breastfeeding is not just a health matter but a development priority, with direct links to several Sustainable Development Goals. She urged strict enforcement of Ghana’s Breastfeeding Protection Regulation 2000, which bans the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and called for workplace reforms, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding rooms, and flexible schedules.
The PSG is pressing for urgent multi-sector action — from hospitals adopting Baby-Friendly Hospital policies to communities normalising public breastfeeding — to reverse the stagnation.
“One of the biggest reasons mothers stop breastfeeding early is the need to return to work without support,” Madam Braka noted. “We must invest in the infrastructure, policies, and cultural change needed to make exclusive breastfeeding the norm, not the exception.”
Despite two decades of near stagnation, stakeholders believe that with committed investment, strong advocacy, and collective responsibility, Ghana can meet global targets and secure a healthier future for its children.
