Africa-Press – Eswatini. World Vision Eswatini has called for increased support for breastfeeding both at home and in the workplace, describing it as a critical step toward ending child hunger and malnutrition in Eswatini.
Speaking during the launch of the 2025 World Breastfeeding Week at the Happy Valley Hotel, Communications and Campaigns Manager Lungile Dlamini-Zwane emphasized that breastfeeding is not only a natural and effective way to nourish infants but also a powerful tool in the fight against childhood malnutrition and disease.
“As part of our ENOUGH Campaign to End Child Hunger and Malnutrition, we are advocating for workplaces and communities to create enabling environments for breastfeeding mothers,” she said. “This includes providing spaces for expressing milk, nearby day care facilities, extended maternity leave, and even flexible or remote work options.”
Dlamini-Zwane reiterated that babies thrive when they are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, as breastmilk provides complete nutrition and builds immunity against illness, reducing the risk of malnutrition.
This year’s commemoration is themed “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems for Breastfeeding Women” and is coordinated by the Eswatini National Nutrition Council under the Ministry of Health, with support from partners including UNICEF and World Vision.
The Initiative aligns with World Vision’s broader efforts to improve child health and development outcomes across the country and region. The organization continues to work closely with communities, health providers, and government to promote nutritional practices that support lifelong well-being.
Also present was the Minister for Health Mduduzi Matsebula applauded the role of civil society organizations like World Vision, noting that ending malnutrition is a shared responsibility. He echoed the call for Institutions and workplaces to invest in breastfeeding support systems, stating that the government is committed to strengthening breastfeeding-friendly policies and infrastructure.
World Vision’s call comes at a time when Eswatini, like many countries in the region, continues to grapple with high rates of child malnutrition and food insecurity. The organization believes that promoting and protecting breastfeeding is a simple yet powerful way to address these challenges at the root.
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