In Senegal, 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. Senegal has made commitments and taken important steps towards this benchmark. Today, however, just 33% 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.

Advocacy Brief: Senegal

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Senegal facts

16 million (M)

$21+ billion (B)

33%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Senegal 33%
Global Goal: 50%
33%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Senegal results in:
3,000
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.

$70M
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 Senegal

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 1,187,682 1,076
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia 30,901 1,547
Obesity 851 Not Available
Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 177 38
Ovarian cancer 17 16
Type II diabetes 1,098 108
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Senegal

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Senegal suffers economic losses because only 33% 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 Senegal, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $58,417
Diarrhea in children $1,289,313
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children $136,775
Total in USD $1,484,506
Total as a % of Gross National Income (GNI) 0.010%

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

In USD $69,848,713
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 Senegal due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 33% of children are exclusively breastfed in Senegal. 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 $34,347,743
Maternal mortality $185,846
Combined child and maternal mortality $34,533,590
Total as % GNI 0.232%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$70,713,390
As a % GNI0.475%

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

Total in USD$106,731,486
As a % GNI0.718%

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

Currently, 33% of children are exclusively breastfed in Senegal. 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 $114,418,982
Maternal mortality $221,265
Combined child and maternal mortality $114,640,247
Total as % GNI 0.771%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$235,559,991
As a % GNI1.584%

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

Total in USD$354,684,744
As a % GNI2.365%

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

Currently, 33% of children are exclusively breastfed in Senegal. 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 $273,601,373
Maternal mortality $248,634
Combined child and maternal mortality $273,850,008
Total as % GNI 1.841%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$563,276,617
As a % GNI3.787%

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

Total in USD$838,611,130
As a % GNI5.639%

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

Currently, 33% of children are exclusively breastfed in Senegal. 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 $687,329,259
Maternal mortality $279,442
Combined child and maternal mortality $687,608,701
Total as % GNI 4.623%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$1,415,038,583
As a % GNI9.514%

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

Total in USD$2,104,131,791
As a % GNI14.148%

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

Currently, 33% of children are exclusively breastfed in Senegal. 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 $2,936,729,532
Maternal mortality $333,032
Combined child and maternal mortality $2,937,062,564
Total as % GNI 19.748%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$6,045,989,662
As a % GNI40.652%

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

Total in USD$8,984,536,731
As a % GNI60.41%
Next steps in Senegal

For Senegal 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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