In Myanmar, breastfeeding impacts families, communities, and the economy.

There are serious health and economic consequences associated with not breastfeeding.

Globally, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has set a target to increase the exclusive breastfeeding rate to 50% by 2025. Myanmar has made commitments and taken important steps towards this benchmark. In 2016, the country reached a 51% exclusive breastfeeding rate. While this should be celebrated, progress must continue so that all children are able to thrive.

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Myanmar facts

53 million (M)

$69+ billion (B)

51%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Myanmar 51%
Global Goal: 50%
51%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Myanmar results in:
4,000+
preventable child deaths.

When a child is not breastfed, that child is less likely to survive. He or she is more likely to contract life-threatening illnesses and be less able to fight off sicknesses.

1M+
cases of diarrhea and pneumonia.

Children who are not breastfed are more likely to drink unclean water (in formula) and have less developed immune systems. This means they are more prone to contracting diarrhea-causing pathogens and pneumonia. The effects can be life-long.

$182M+
in household costs.

When a child is not breastfed, families need to purchase breastmilk substitutes like formula, which is costly, especially for families in low-and middle- income countries.

$2M+
in health care system treatment costs.

When children are not breastfed, both children and mothers are more likely to get sick and need to seek out treatment. This results in significant treatment costs for health systems.

The human costs of not breastfeeding in Myanmar

There are serious health consequences associated with not breastfeeding.

When children are not breastfed, they are at higher risk of illness and death. Later in life, mothers who do not breastfeed are more prone to develop life-altering and life-threatening cancers and Type II diabetes.

Impact of not breastfeeding on morbidity and mortality in:

 

  Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Diarrhea 938,709 1,305
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia 47,944 2,924
Obesity 2,292 Not Available
  Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 1,905 416
Ovarian cancer 261 197
Type II diabetes 6,715 415
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Myanmar

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Myanmar suffers economic losses because only 51% of children are exclusively breastfed. These economic losses are the result of:

  • Higher health systems costs, as children and mothers develop illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding practices;
  • Lost productivity, as children who were not breastfed are less likely to fully develop and fully contribute to the economy, and;
  • Higher household expenditures, as families need to purchase breastmilk substitutes like formula when they do not breastfeed their children

Impact of not breastfeeding on:

 

In Myanmar, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $80,649
Diarrhea in children $1,518,059
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children $232,655
Total in USD $1,831,363
Total as a % of Gross National Income (GNI) 0.003%

When families do not breastfeed their children, they need to purchase formula. This results in the following household costs.

In USD $182,469,774
Total as a % of nominal wages Not Available
Select a GDP growth rate

The health of an economy impacts a child’s earning potential. Put simply, the earning potential of a child living in a country with a low GDP will be smaller than that of a child living in a country with a high GDP. As GDP grows, a child’s lifetime earning potential grows. Yet, inadequate breastfeeding can limit a child’s development and earning potential.

See how different rates of GDP growth impact costs of not breastfeeding

Make a selection below:

Economic losses in Myanmar due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 51% of children are exclusively breastfed in Myanmar. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $58,326,172
Maternal mortality $0
Combined child and maternal mortality $58,326,172
Total as % GNI 0.093%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$86,444,299
As a % GNI0.139%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$146,601,834
As a % GNI0.235%

Economic losses in Myanmar due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 3%

Currently, 51% of children are exclusively breastfed in Myanmar. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $172,789,502
Maternal mortality $0
Combined child and maternal mortality $172,789,502
Total as % GNI 0.277%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$256,088,593
As a % GNI0.410%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$430,709,459
As a % GNI0.690%

Economic losses in Myanmar due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 5%

Currently, 51% of children are exclusively breastfed in Myanmar. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $370,413,623
Maternal mortality $0
Combined child and maternal mortality $370,413,623
Total as % GNI 0.594%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$548,984,184
As a % GNI0.880%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$921,229,170
As a % GNI1.476%

Economic losses in Myanmar due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 7%

Currently, 51% of children are exclusively breastfed in Myanmar. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $816,248,461
Maternal mortality $0
Combined child and maternal mortality $816,248,461
Total as % GNI 1.308%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$1,209,748,959
As a % GNI1.939%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$2,027,828,783
As a % GNI3.250%

Economic losses in Myanmar due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 10%

Currently, 51% of children are exclusively breastfed in Myanmar. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $2,782,504,325
Maternal mortality $0
Combined child and maternal mortality $2,782,504,325
Total as % GNI 4.459%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$4,123,905,738
As a % GNI6.609%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$6,908,241,426
As a % GNI11.071%
Next steps in Myanmar

For Myanmar to thrive at the family, community, and national levels, breastfeeding rates and practices must improve.

Building and sustaining momentum around breastfeeding requires effective policy advocacy and social behavior change that combines interpersonal communications, mass media, and community-level programming. Reliable and timely data on rates and behaviors is critical to inform an approach that positions us to achieve global breastfeeding goals.

Tools & Resources: Global

This tool can be used to help inform policy actions, such as those recommended by the Global Breastfeeding Collective.

 
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