HIV & AIDS Information from AVERT.org

back to top Celebrating International World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week is being celebrated in more than 170 countries around the globe this week. This event will place a spotlight on the importance of breastfeeding for a baby’s short and long-term development.

Breastfeeding is widely seen as the best way for a baby to get all the essential nutrients and immune-factors they need to ensure protection from potentially life-threatening infections such as diarrhoea.

Despite this, it is estimated that only 38 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months, globally.

Sadly, breastfeeding can also be a route for mother-to-child HIV transmission. It is believed that 5-20 percent of babies who acquire HIV from their mothers do so via breastfeeding.

However, several studies have shown that adhering to effective antiretroviral treatment and breastfeeding exclusively can reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission to 2 percent.

For HIV-positive mothers, the decision to breastfeed or provide replacement feeding can present a dilemma.

To find out more about how mother-to-child transmission of HIV occurs, and seek advice about breastfeeding or replacement feeding, see our HIV and Breastfeeding page for detailed information on breastfeeding.