The Progress of Nations 1997 Nutrition Progress & Disparity

<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" LINK="#0000EE" VLINK="#551A8B" ALINK="#FF0000"> <CENTER><TABLE BORDER=0 COLS=1 WIDTH="84%" > <TR> <TD> <CENTER><IMG SRC="images/prog2.gif" NOSAVE HEIGHT=108 WIDTH=415></CENTER> <H3> Exclusive breastfeeding: A chance for survival</H3> The lives of almost 1.5 million infants could be saved every year if for the first six months of life they were exclusively breastfed. That means nothing but breastmilk—no solids, no other liquids, not even water. <P>Data from 69 developing countries, including new estimates from 40 countries since last year’s report, show that half of them have exclusive breastfeeding rates below 25%, with 14 countries at 10% or less. In only 15 countries are 50% or more of the infants exclusively breastfed.  <P>The good news is that the number of countries gathering data has more than doubled since 1993, when only 32 developing countries had data on breastfeeding. <P>For optimal nutrition and protection against disease, exclusive breastfeeding is recommended. After the first six months of life, to ensure their healthy development and survival, babies should be given nutritious food together with breastmilk. They also need good care and access to health services.  <BR>  <BR>  <CENTER><TABLE COLS=1 WIDTH="84%" > <TR> <TD> <CENTER><IMG SRC="images/pg20.jpg" ALT="Photo:UNICEF/87-0006/Tolmie" NOSAVE HEIGHT=197 WIDTH=295></CENTER> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><I><FONT SIZE=-1>The `kangaroo' technique, used in the absence of incubators, keeps premature babies, like this one in Colombia, warm and in constant contact with their mothers.</FONT></I></TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER>  </TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER>   <CENTER><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=6 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH="60%" > <TR> <TD COLSPAN="2"><B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>10% and under</FONT></FONT></B>  <BR><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Developing countries with exclusive breastfeeding rates of 10% or less</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD COLSPAN="2"><B><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>50% and over</FONT></FONT></B>  <BR><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Developing countries with exclusive breastfeeding rates of 50% or more</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>% </FONT></FONT></TD> <TD></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>%</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Niger</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 1</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Rwanda</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>90</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Nigeria</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 2</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Burundi</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>89</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Angola</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 3</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Ethiopia</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>74</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Côte d'Ivoire</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 3</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Tanzania</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>73</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Haiti</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 3</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Uganda</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>70</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Central African Rep.</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 4</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Egypt</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>68</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Thailand</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 4</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Eritrea</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>65</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Cameroon</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 7</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>China</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>64</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Paraguay</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 7</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Mauritania</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>60</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Maldives</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 8</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Bangladesh</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>54</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Senegal</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1> 9</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Turkmenistan</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>54</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Dominican Rep.</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>10</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Bolivia</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>53</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Togo</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>10</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Iran</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>53</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Trinidad/Tobago</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>10</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>India</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>51</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD></TD> <TD></TD> <TD><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>Guatemala</FONT></FONT></TD> <TD ALIGN=CENTER><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-1>50</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER>   <CENTER><TABLE BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=6 CELLPADDING=0 COLS=1 WIDTH="76%" > <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE=-2><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica">Data refer to infants under four months of age.</FONT> </FONT>  <BR><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><FONT SIZE=-2>Sources: DHS, MICS and other nationwide surveys, 1987-1996</FONT><FONT SIZE=-1>.</FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE></CENTER>   <CENTER> <H5> <A HREF="p18a.htm">Previous</A>  |  <A HREF="mainmenu.htm">Contents</A>  |  <A HREF="p20b.htm">Next</A></H5></CENTER> </BODY>