According to UNB, Bangladesh has rated top in the world in terms of helping lactating moms.
Bangladesh, along with Sri Lanka, has been designated as a “green” country by the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi).
So yet, only two countries out of 98 have attained this rank. Bangladesh was ranked first with a score of 91.5 out of 100.
This is based on the country’s performance on the WBTi’s ten policy and program indicators, which are used to colour-code and rank countries. The colour codes are red, yellow, blue, and green, in ascending order of performance.
“Bangladesh received a green colour code for scoring 91.5, indicating the highest level of performance. This is the product of consistent improvement efforts dating back to 2005. Bangladesh displayed a high degree of commitment to maternal and infant health and nutrition, led by its Prime Minister,” said Arun Gupta, WBTi’s global coordinator.
WBTi was established in 2004 to help countries examine the state of and benchmark progress in implementing the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF).
It is based on the WHO’s national assessment instrument for baby and young child feeding policies and programs.
Each day, inadequate breastfeeding costs the global economy over $1 billion. This loss is due to a combination of lost productivity and increased healthcare costs. Furthermore, it saves 700,000 lives per year.