Breastfeeding Promoted in Somalia

(6 Aug 10 - RV) Every year, the first week of August is celebrated as World Breastfeeding Week to highlight the benefits of breast milk for infants.
In Somalia only 26 per cent of infants are fed breast milk within the first hour of birth, and only 9 per cent are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.
The UN Children’s Fund is supporting health workers and communities to acquire the knowledge, skills and resources to help new mothers promote breastfeeding in Somalia.
Peter Hailey is a UNICEF Nutrition Specialist for the UN Children’s Fund there. He told us why breastfeeding is not widely practiced in the country: