HEALTH Minister Dr Elijah Muchima says Zambia recorded a decline in breastfeeding rates from 70 per cent in 2018 to 64 per cent in 2024, despite remaining above the World Health Organization (WHO) target of 50 per cent by 2025. Speaking during a media briefing to mark World Breastfeeding Week 2025, Thursday, Dr Muchima attributed the drop to declining support systems for breastfeeding women. “Zambia recorded a reduction in breastfeeding rates in 2024 from 70 per cent in 2018 to 64 per cent, and only 68 per cent infants were initiated to breastfeeding within one hour compared to 76 per cent in 2018. Although these statistics are well above the World Health Organization’s target of 50 per cent by 2025,...
