Join us on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT—Washington, D.C. time) for the webinar "Breastfeeding Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean" during the 2025 World Breastfeeding Protection Day (May 21st). UNICEF and PAHO have organized this event to support LAC governments and key stakeholders in strengthening, implementing, monitoring, and enforcing legal frameworks aligned with the Code.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
- TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C., or EDT) [See the bottom of this page for schedules in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: English, Spanish and Portuguese with simultaneous translation.
- REGISTER: https://unicef.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s6e6JWAnSIKKLYqu8ohjew#/registration
AGENDA
| Time | Topic | Presenter |
| 10 mins | Opening remarks | Eduardo Celades, Survive and Thrive Regional Adviser, UNICEF LACRO Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief, Risk Factors and Nutrition Unit. Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, PAHO |
| 5 mins | Icebreaker: Why is the Code Essential for Children in LAC? | Michelle Alvarez, Food Systems Specialist, UNICEF LACRO |
| 15 mins | Regional Overview: Child Malnutrition, Breastfeeding, and Code Status | Michelle Alvarez, Food Systems Specialist, UNICEF LACRO |
| 10 mins | Why is the Code Essential? Results of multricentric study | Carmen Casanovas, Consultant, PAHO |
| 10 mins | Essential Aspects of the Code and Tools | Katherine Shats, Legal Specialist, UNICEF HQ |
| 10 mins | Implementing the Code and Code Advocacy | Ignacio Ibarra, Regional Advisor on Health-Related Law, PAHO |
| 5 mins | Q&A | Audrey Morris, Advisor – Food and Nutrition, Pan American Health Organization |
| 10 mins | Closing | Audrey Morris, Advisor – Food and Nutrition, Pan American Health Organization |
CONTEXT
Breastfeeding, from birth up to two years or beyond, is critical for children's health, growth and development. It provides essential nutrients, strengthens the immune system, lowers the risk of illness, and helps prevent infant mortality and morbidity. For mothers, breastfeeding also offers long-term health benefits, including a reduced risk of certain chronic diseases.[1]
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), only 43 per cent of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed, a rate below the global average of 48 per cent.[2] In addition, only 54 per cent of newborns are breastfed within their first hour of life, and just 43 per cent of children continue to breastfeed up to two years of age. This shortfall contributes to the region’s persistent triple burden of malnutrition: undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies.
While the region has made progress in reducing the prevalence of wasting, currently affecting 700,000 children under five years of age, and stunting, which impacts 4.8 million children in the same age group, the pace of progress has slowed. In addition, in children under five years of age, childhood overweight and obesity have risen over the past two decades. In 2022, 8.6 per cent of children under five years of age in LAC were affected by being overweight and obesity, up from 6.8 per cent in 2000.[3]
These nutritional challenges are driven by social, cultural and structural factors that undermine child health and development. Key issues include the aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) targeting mothers and caregivers, limited access to quality health services, and weak regulatory frameworks that fail to adequately protect and support breast feeding. These conditions compromise children’s rights to adequate health and nutrition.
To address this, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (the Code) in 1981. The Code aims to support the regulation of marketing practices of breastmilk substitutes to protect and promote breastfeeding. Subsequent WHA resolutions, adopted approximately every two years, have expanded and strengthened the Code. The WHA Resolution 34.22 particularly urges governments to take action to give effect to the principles and aims of the Code, as appropriate to their social and legislative frameworks, including adopting national legislation, regulations, or other suitable measures.
The implementation of the Code in LAC has been uneven. Stronger legal frameworks, improved monitoring and enforcement, and enhanced collaboration among stakeholders are urgently needed to ensure compliance and protect breastfeeding practices.
[1] UNICEF. (n.d.). Breastfeeding. UNICEF Data. https://data.unicef.org/topic/nutrition/breastfeeding/
[2] Pan American Health Organization. (n.d.). Breastfeeding and complementary feeding. https://www.paho.org/en/topics/breastfeeding-and-complementary-feeding
[3] UNICEF (2023). Childhood overweight on the rise: Is it too late to turn the tide in Latin America and the Caribbean?https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/reports/childhood-overweight-rise-latin-america-caribbean
TIME IN OTHER CITIES
- 8:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver
- 9:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
- 10:00 a.m. – Bogotá, Panama City, Kingston, Lima
- 11:00 a.m. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Quito, Washington D.C., Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, San Juan, Santo Domingo
- 12:00 a.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo
- 5:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid
For other cities, please check the local time on this link.