In Timor-Leste, 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. By the time these targets were set in 2012, Timor-Leste had already reached a national exclusive breastfeeding rate of 62%. While this should be celebrated, more must be done to drive progress and ensure all children are able to thrive.

Advocacy Brief: Timor Leste

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Timor-Leste facts

1+ million (M)

$3 billion (B)

62%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Timor-Leste 62%
Global Goal: 50%
62%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Timor-Leste results in:
300+
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.

53,000
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.

$6M+
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.

$89,000
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 Timor-Leste

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 51,935 111
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia 1,799 212
Obesity 307 Not Available
Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 16 3
Ovarian cancer 3 2
Type II diabetes 129 7
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Timor-Leste

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Timor-Leste suffers economic losses because only 62% 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 Timor-Leste, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $7,529
Diarrhea in children $74,784
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children $6,535
Total in USD $88,848
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 $6,448,038
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 Timor-Leste due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 62% of children are exclusively breastfed in Timor-Leste. 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 $9,413,997
Maternal mortality $25,997
Combined child and maternal mortality $9,439,995
Total as % GNI 0.349%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$7,972,627
As a % GNI0.294%

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

Total in USD$17,501,470
As a % GNI0.646%

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

Currently, 62% of children are exclusively breastfed in Timor-Leste. 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 $31,359,847
Maternal mortality $30,952
Combined child and maternal mortality $31,390,799
Total as % GNI 1.159%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$26,558,365
As a % GNI0.981%

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

Total in USD$58,038,012
As a % GNI2.143%

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

Currently, 62% of children are exclusively breastfed in Timor-Leste. 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 $74,988,407
Maternal mortality $34,781
Combined child and maternal mortality $75,023,188
Total as % GNI 2.770%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$63,506,989
As a % GNI2.345%

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

Total in USD$138,619,025
As a % GNI5.119%

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

Currently, 62% of children are exclusively breastfed in Timor-Leste. 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 $188,382,557
Maternal mortality $39,090
Combined child and maternal mortality $188,421,647
Total as % GNI 6.96%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$159,539,447
As a % GNI5.89%

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

Total in USD$348,049,942
As a % GNI12.852%

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

Currently, 62% of children are exclusively breastfed in Timor-Leste. 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 $804,896,070
Maternal mortality $46,587
Combined child and maternal mortality $804,942,656
Total as % GNI 29.723%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$681,659,041
As a % GNI25.171%

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

Total in USD$1,486,690,546
As a % GNI54.897%
Next steps in Timor-Leste

For Timor-Leste 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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