Not breastfeeding leads to more than half a million child deaths annually and costs the world economy up to US$1 billion a day.

Breastfeeding is one of the best buys in global health to improve social, health, and economic development outcomes. Globally, improving breastfeeding practices could save more than 820,000 lives annually—87 percent of them infants under six months of age.

A map of Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding facilities in Viet Nam (updated in September 2023).

In Myanmar, about half of all deaths among children under five occur during the first 28 days of life, and the majority of neonatal deaths are from preventable causes.