Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2018.

Bhattacharjee, Natalia V; Schaeffer, Lauren E; Hay, Simon I; Local Burden of Disease Exclusive Breastfeeding Collaborators; 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). pp. 1027-1045. ISSN 2397-3374 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01108-6

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.