Breastfeeding, most powerful shield in emergencies

Infants and young children are among the most vulnerable populations in emergency settings, where disruptions to essential services, unsafe water, overcrowding and heightened stress sharply increase the risk of malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory infections. In these contexts, breastfeeding provides safe, accessible and immunologically active nourishment, protecting infants even when mothers face distress, displacement or limited resources. It becomes a vital life-saving practice.

Beyond its biological value, breastfeeding is anchored in WHO and UNICEF global normative frameworks such as the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, which emphasise the need to protect, promote and support optimal feeding practices from birth. These documents recognise the right of every mother and child to accurate information, skilled support, and protection from commercial and social practices that may undermine breastfeeding.

Despite its protective role, emergencies frequently witness the uncontrolled distribution of breast-milk substitutes, often donated without assessment, monitoring or guidance. Such practices can be dangerous, particularly when clean water, fuel, and sanitation are insufficient to prepare formula safely. There is a need for robust preparedness systems and community infrastructure capable of safeguarding optimal infant feeding practices before, during, and after emergencies. Preparedness is therefore a crucial component of resilience.

In the framework of JA PreventNCD, these principles resonate strongly with the objectives of Healthy Living Environments, which focuses on creating healthy living environments through integrated, community-based interventions across the life course. Embedding Infant Feeding in Emergencies preparedness within JA PreventNCD’s work strengthens community resilience by ensuring that local health systems and social infrastructures are equipped to safeguard infant nutrition even during crises. This directly contributes to the overarching goal of promoting health equity and preventing non-communicable diseases from the earliest stages of life, particularly among vulnerable or marginalised groups.

During 2025 actions have been taken to promote Infant Feeding Emergencies. Under the lead of Italian National Institute of Health, a training session was held in the municipality of Palestrina (Rome, Italy), integrated into a large-scale earthquake simulation and emergency camp. Around 30 participants, including emergency responders and volunteers, took part in the training, which provided them with basic knowledge and tools to address maternal and child nutrition in crisis contexts, in line with current international guidelines.

This aim was further consolidated through the international online workshop “Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Strengthening Baby-Friendly Communities for Resilience and Preparedness”. The session framed infant and young child feeding in emergencies as a public health priority and a structural component of health system resilience, bringing together WHO, PAHO and international field experiences. Contributions highlighted good practices and operational tools from diverse emergency contexts, illustrating how breastfeeding support, appropriate management of breast-milk substitutes and the integration of infant feeding into community services and emergency plans can save lives and strengthen long-term health and equity.

Case studies from the Caribbean, Italy, Gaza, Australia and Ukraine illustrated how breastfeeding support, the regulated management of breast-milk substitutes, training and simulation exercises, and digital solutions can be integrated into emergency preparedness and response, reinforcing the role of Baby-Friendly Communities and Health Services in protecting infant nutrition during crises.

These initiatives illustrate that ensuring breastfeeding is supported in emergencies requires more than individual assistance: it demands prepared communities, trained responders and health systems that integrate infant feeding into routine services and emergency planning.

The evidence is clear: breastfeeding protection in emergencies is a life-saving, rights-based intervention with immediate and long-term benefits for maternal and child health. Breastfeeding contributes to infant survival, reduces infection-related morbidity, and supports maternal health by lowering the risk of postpartum hemorrhage, maternal depletion, anaemia, and stress-related vulnerability, factors that become particularly critical during crises.

By embedding Infant Feeding in Emergencies within Baby-Friendly Communities and Health Services, JA PreventNCD reinforces a sustainable, life-course approach to prevention, resilience and health equity, ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected before, during and after crises.

JA PreventNCD team on Baby Friendly Communities

Anne Bærug, Ann-Magrit Lona, Hanne Christine Mosand Bliksås, Gry Hay
Norwegian Directorate of Health, Norway

Angela Giusti, Francesca Zambri, Vincenza Di Stefano, Annachiara Di Nolfi, Flavia Splendore,
Italian National Institute of Health, Italy

Healthy Living Environments Communication Officer

Lluís Pascual
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (Fisabio), Spain.