In Pakistan, 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. Pakistan has made commitments and taken important steps towards this benchmark. Today, however, just 38% of children under six months are exclusively breastfed. More must be done to reach the WHA target to ensure all children are able to thrive.

 

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Pakistan facts

197 million (M)

$305 billion (B)

38%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Pakistan 38%
Global Goal: 50%
38%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Pakistan results in:
44,000+
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.

14M
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.

$1B+
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.

$51M
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 Pakistan

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 13,252,833 17,558
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia 515,029 26,744
Obesity 26,030 Not Available
  Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 4,753 1,044
Ovarian cancer 577 318
Type II diabetes 22,978 1,916
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Pakistan

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Pakistan suffers economic losses because only 38% 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 Pakistan, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $588,678
Diarrhea in children $45,236,102
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children $4,983,801
Total in USD $50,808,580
Total as a % of Gross National Income (GNI) 0.019%

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

In USD $1,256,467,409
Total as a % of nominal wages 18.800%
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 Pakistan due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 38% of children are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. 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 $852,125,192
Maternal mortality $3,792,051
Combined child and maternal mortality $855,917,243
Total as % GNI 0.315%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$878,383,520
As a % GNI0.323%

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

Total in USD$1,785,109,343
As a % GNI0.657%

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

Currently, 38% of children are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. 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 $2,838,593,955
Maternal mortality $4,514,748
Combined child and maternal mortality $2,843,108,702
Total as % GNI 1.046%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$2,926,065,530
As a % GNI1.077%

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

Total in USD$5,819,982,812
As a % GNI2.142%

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

Currently, 38% of children are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. 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 $6,787,712,942
Maternal mortality $5,073,191
Combined child and maternal mortality $6,792,786,133
Total as % GNI 2.500%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$6,996,877,040
As a % GNI2.575%

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

Total in USD$13,840,471,753
As a % GNI5.093%

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

Currently, 38% of children are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. 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 $17,051,792,002
Maternal mortality $5,701,802
Combined child and maternal mortality $17,057,493,804
Total as % GNI 6.277%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$17,577,244,789
As a % GNI6.469%

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

Total in USD$34,685,547,173
As a % GNI12.765%

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

Currently, 38% of children are exclusively breastfed in Pakistan. 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 $72,856,641,058
Maternal mortality $6,795,265
Combined child and maternal mortality $72,863,436,323
Total as % GNI 26.815%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$75,101,726,214
As a % GNI27.638%

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

Total in USD$148,015,971,117
As a % GNI54.472%
Next steps in Pakistan

For Pakistan 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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