As part of efforts to combat child stunting and promote the overall health of both mother and child, Rwanda has launched a month-long national breastfeeding awareness campaign for the entire month of August. The campaign was officially launched on July 31, 2025, aligning with the international theme of World Breastfeeding Week. However, Rwanda has extended it to a full month due to persistent challenges related to poor nutrition and child stunting across the country.
The National Child Development Agency (NCDA) emphasized that one of the major obstacles to proper child care remains misconceptions surrounding breastfeeding. Some mothers still lack confidence in their ability to produce enough breast milk. However, current scientific knowledge shows that, under normal conditions, every mother can increase milk production by frequently breastfeeding their child.
The NCDA identifies this as a key step in addressing harmful beliefs that hinder exclusive breastfeeding practices. According to agency officials, such misconceptions are among the reasons some mothers neglect the vital responsibility of exclusively breastfeeding their infants during the first six months of life.
Beyond the developmental benefits for the child—including healthy growth and cognitive development—NCDA also highlights the maternal benefits of breastfeeding. These include helping the mother’s body recover post-delivery, preventing certain illnesses, and supporting the mother in fulfilling her parental role in a healthy and sustainable way.
This campaign also emphasizes the importance of involvement from fathers, neighbors, employers, and others in a mother’s environment. Their support is considered crucial in creating a family and workplace setting that is conducive to breastfeeding, enabling mothers to feel confident and supported in their caregiving roles.
According to the 2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months declined to 80.9%, down from 87.3% in 2015. This decline has prompted a call for stronger strategies to encourage mothers to regain confidence in their ability to breastfeed.
The month-long national campaign aims to provide lasting solutions to child stunting and malnutrition by focusing on education and reshaping community attitudes toward breastfeeding.
