Not breastfeeding has significant health and economic impacts. The Cost of Not Breastfeeding Tool is an evidence-based modeling tool that uses open-access data to estimate the health and economic costs of not protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding.

With support from the Government of Ireland, Alive & Thrive is working to tackle malnutrition and reach global nutrition targets in the Mekong Sub-Region with a priority on the furthest behind in each context.

A breastfeeding promotion intervention in private facilities in Lagos, which included training for healthcare providers, increased the percentage of exclusively breastfed infants but had no impact on early initiation of breastfeeding.  

Breastfeeding and mothers’ milk is presently not counted in food systems or the economy but should be. The Mothers’ Milk Tool will help.