At a press briefing in Hanoi the same day to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week from August 1-7, a representative from the Ministry of Health said the current rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Vietnam is low. Only one of every six mothers exclusively breastfeeds her baby.

The ministry official said Vietnam is committed to promoting the breastfeeding of infants and young children through advocacy activities, which aim to raise people’s awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding as well as the risks of inappropriate supplementary foods.

According to Jesper Morch, Chief Representative of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF), 12-15 percent of the mortality cases among children under five could be avoided if they are primarily breastfed for up to two years, and especially if they are exclusively breastfed until six months of age.

In order to achieve the target, Vietnam should reinforce the implementation of the government decree on the trading and use of nutritious products for babies, he suggested.

According to the World Health Organisation, the best way of preventing malnutrition and mortality from diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea among infants and young children is to ensure that they are breastfed exclusively until six months of age and to continue breastfeeding with appropriate supplementary foods for up to two years or beyond.