Fast Company: Can Encouraging Breastfeeding Around The World Boost The Global Economy?
“…[T]he Global Breastfeeding Collective, a philanthropic coalition that includes the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and 20 related heath and nutrition nonprofits like 1,000 Days and Alive & Thrive, has launched a $5.7 billion fundraising campaign to get more [mothers to breastfeed]. The goal is to convince potential donors, including foundations, various NGOs, and government making health investments, to boost the current rate of those who ‘exclusively breastfeed’ — meaning just that and nothing else — for their first six months from 40 percent to 50 percent by 2025 by investing things like public health campaigns and prenatal counseling, and better medical facilities with trained staff to encourage the practice…” (Paynter, 8/1).

U.N. News Centre: Breastfeeding is ‘smartest investment’ families, communities, and countries can make — U.N.
“…The [Global Breastfeeding Scorecard] was released at the start of World Breastfeeding Week alongside a new analysis, Nurturing the Health and Wealth of Nations: The Investment Case for Breastfeeding, demonstrating that an annual investment of only $4.70 per newborn is required to increase the global rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months to 50 percent by 2025…” (8/1).

USA TODAY: Breastfeeding: Not a single country in the world meets WHO, UNICEF standards
“…Fewer than 44 percent [of countries] report moms breastfeed infants within the first hour of birth. Only 23 countries report exclusive breastfeeding rates at six months above 60 percent: Bolivia, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Micronesia, Federated States of Nauru, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, São Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia…” (May, 8/1).