In Vietnam, 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. Vietnam has made commitments and taken important steps towards this benchmark. For example, the exclusive breastfeeding rate for children under six months increased seven percentage points from 17% to 24% between 2011 and 2014. More, however, must be done to reach the WHA target.

Advocacy Brief: Vietnam

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Vietnam facts

95 million (M)

$224 billion (B)

24%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Vietnam 24%
Global Goal: 50%
24%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Vietnam 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.

N/A
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.

$2B
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 Vietnam

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 Not Available 1,198
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia Not Available 2,374
Obesity 14,290 Not Available
Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 2,032 486
Ovarian cancer 677 396
Type II diabetes 17,952 2,236
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Vietnam

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Vietnam suffers economic losses because only 24% 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 Vietnam, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $1,525,166
Diarrhea in children Not Available
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children Not Available
Total in USD $1,525,166
Total as a % of Gross National Income (GNI) 0.001%

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

In USD $1,665,736,501
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 Vietnam due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 24% of children are exclusively breastfed in Vietnam. 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 $94,956,426
Maternal mortality $10,092,470
Combined child and maternal mortality $105,048,896
Total as % GNI 0.058%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$449,852,865
As a % GNI0.246%

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

Total in USD$556,426,926
As a % GNI0.305%

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

Currently, 24% of children are exclusively breastfed in Vietnam. 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 $316,318,235
Maternal mortality $12,015,912
Combined child and maternal mortality $328,334,147
Total as % GNI 0.180%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$1,498,546,967
As a % GNI0.821%

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

Total in USD$1,828,406,280
As a % GNI1.001%

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

Currently, 24% of children are exclusively breastfed in Vietnam. 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 $756,387,638
Maternal mortality $13,502,198
Combined child and maternal mortality $769,889,835
Total as % GNI 0.422%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$3,583,360,920
As a % GNI1.962%

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

Total in USD$4,354,775,921
As a % GNI2.385%

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

Currently, 24% of children are exclusively breastfed in Vietnam. 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 $1,900,163,542
Maternal mortality $15,175,233
Combined child and maternal mortality $1,915,338,776
Total as % GNI 1.049%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$9,001,960,689
As a % GNI4.930%

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

Total in USD$10,918,824,631
As a % GNI5.979%

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

Currently, 24% of children are exclusively breastfed in Vietnam. 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 $8,118,767,409
Maternal mortality $18,085,464
Combined child and maternal mortality $8,136,852,873
Total as % GNI 4.456%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$38,462,386,748
As a % GNI21.063%

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

Total in USD$46,600,764,787
As a % GNI25.520%
Next steps in Vietnam

For Vietnam 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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