The Lancet Breastfeeding Series

Released January 2016, The Lancet Breastfeeding Series highlights the significant economic and health benefits for both rich and poor countries alike when governments support breastfeeding through meaningful investments and programs.  Based on a growing body of evidence, the Series finds the global costs of lower cognitive ability associated with not breastfeeding amount to more than $300 billion each year, a figure comparable to the entire global pharmaceutical market. Moreover, 820,000 children’s lives could be saved annually with increased breastfeeding rates, a nearly 13 percent reduction in all under-5 child deaths.