Mapping Inequalities in Exclusive Breastfeeding in Low- And Middle-Income Countries, 2000–2018

Authors

Natalia V. Bhattacharjee, University of Washington
Laauren E. Schaeffer, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston
Simon I. Hay, University of Washington
Arianna Maever L. Amit, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Ateneo de Manila UniversityFollow
Veincent Christian F. Pepito, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Ateneo de Manila UniversityFollow
Local Burden of Disease Exclusive Breastfeeding Collaborators
477 co-authors, various institutions

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-3-2021

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) of ≥70% EBF prevalence by 2030. While six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO GNT of ≥70% EBF prevalence at a national scale, only three are predicted to meet the target in all their district-level units by 2030.

Recommended Citation

Local Burden of Disease Exclusive Breastfeeding Collaborators. (2021). Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–2018. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(8), 1027–1045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01108-6