{The new World Health Organisation (WHO) report that relates to breastfeeding indicates that 85% of Rwandan mothers actively and exclusively feed their children on breast milk for the first six months. WHO says their target is to reach at least 95% of exclusive breastfeeding of babies for the first six months. Rwanda emerges with the highest score of 85% followed by Srilanka which has 76%.}
Rwanda has also scored highest where over 90% of children extend breastfeeding period from 6 to 23 months, followed by Nepal, Ethiopia, Burundi, and Guinea.
Other countries in the region with good scores in exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months include; Burundi 69%, Uganda 62%, Tanazania 50% and Kenya 32%.
In the report , researchers demonstrated that 800,000 children deaths can be prevented if children got proper breastfeeding sucking in the first six months of life.
The Rwanda 5th Health Household Survey report, 2014/2015, indicated that infant mortality rates reduced to 32 per 1000 live births down from 109 deaths in 2000.
Researchers say that breastfeeding can reduce breast cancer among mothers and obesity related diseases.
England scored so poorly with only 1% of children breastfed during the first six months after birth.
The research results published in the health journal ‘Lancet’ indicate that one woman in 200 continues to breastfeed her baby after one year.
Research results indicate that there is a perception among the rich that getting a baby is for poor people. However, Prof.Cesar Victoria from Brazil who contributed to this research refuted spread rumors that breastfeeding helps poor people only.
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