JFF’s Statement on World Breastfeeding Week 2025

Public Statement: World Breastfeeding Week 2025, August 1–7, 2025

As we mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025, the Junaid Family Foundation proudly joins the global community in celebrating the lifesaving, life-nurturing power of breastfeeding. This year’s theme, “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems,” underscores the urgent need to invest in long term sustainable solutions that support, protect and promote breastfeeding as a fundamental right and a public health priority.

Breastfeeding is not only a cornerstone of infants and maternal health, but also a powerful tool for equity, resilience, and sustainable development. It supports the health, nutrition, and emotional well-being of both mother and child and plays a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – a vision we deeply share.

Breastfeeding matters in all contexts, situations and by all segments of the population. This is because: 

• Breastmilk is the ideal nutritious food for infants: safe, clean, and rich in antibodies that protect against common childhood illnesses.
• Exclusively breastfed infants are significantly less likely to die from diarrhea or pneumonia, the two leading causes of child mortality.  
• Early initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth can be lifesaving,
• Breastfeeding continues to provide up to one-third of a child’s nutritional needs during the second year of life
• Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight or develop diabetes later in life
• Mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers

According to the National Nutrition Survey 2018, Pakistan faces a triple burden of malnutrition—undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising rates of overweight and obesity:

• 40.2% of children under five are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition.
• 17.7% of children under five suffer from wasting, a sign of acute malnutrition.
• Only 48% of infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed, falling behind WHO’s 2030 target of at least 60%.
• Only 45% of newborns have an opportunity to receive breast milk within the first hour of their lives
• Over 50% of women and children are deficient in essential micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

These figures highlight the urgent need to strengthen maternal and child nutrition intervention, especially those that support the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding.

At the Junaid Family Foundation, our mission is to empower vulnerable populations, especially women, adolescents, and children, to reach new levels of economic and social growth and stability, to transform generational poverty, and sow the seeds of future prosperity. Our work in maternal nutrition, including recent partnerships with the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, and the Government of Pakistan, reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring that every mother has access to the resources, education, and support she needs to breastfeed successfully.

This week, we reaffirm our dedication to advancing maternal and child nutrition through supporting breastfeeding awareness, education, and advocacy, collaborating with global and local partners to championing policies, legislations, and family-friendly practices that promote, protect and support breastfeeding rights in healthcare, workplaces, and public spaces in a sustainable manner

We would also like to call on governments, healthcare providers, civil society, and the private sector to join us in galvanizing action for breastfeeding. Together, we can ensure that every child receives the healthiest start in life—and that every mother is empowered to nourish, nurture, and thrive.

With gratitude & commitment,

Sufia Junaid 

Trustee

Photo by UNICEF Pakistan