UNICEF and Cuba Join Forces to Promote Breastfeeding

An extensive series of activities will take place across Cuba in connection with World Breastfeeding Week, observed from August 1 to 7, as part of a broader initiative set to extend through 2026 to promote breastfeeding as an act of love and protection.

At a press conference held in Havana, the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) shared details of the upcoming campaign. They also launched the initiative Gotas de Amor (Drops of Love), a year-long movement aimed at encouraging breastfeeding.

Sunny Guidotti, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Cuba, emphasized the organization's close collaboration with MINSAP in promoting a practice that supports both infant and maternal health, lowers the risk of chronic diseases, and, most importantly, fosters a deep bond between mother and child.

"Scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding, not only in the first hour of life but exclusively for the first six months, can save lives and support the healthy development of children," said Guidotti.

She also underscored the importance of family support for breastfeeding mothers, highlighting the cognitive and immune system benefits for newborns, along with numerous health advantages for mothers as well.

Dr. Mercedes Esquivel, a member of the National Pediatrics Group and the Commission on Breastfeeding and Human Milk Banks, noted that Cuba provides a sustainable support system to promote successful breastfeeding, starting from conception and continuing through the child’s first two years of life.

This effort, she explained, is grounded in scientific and epidemiological data and seeks to engage all sectors of society.

Dr. Esquivel shared key statistics supporting the urgency of the initiative, pointing out that non-breastfed infants are six times more likely to die than those who are breastfed.

Both MINSAP and UNICEF advocate for exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods up to two years of age.

Activities planned in celebration of this vital act of love and protection include a virtual scientific forum, recognition events for milk-donor mothers and those who have achieved exclusive breastfeeding, awareness workshops, and regional training sessions focused on community-based interventions.

On August 7 at 4:00 p.m. local time, singer-songwriter Enid Rosales will perform a concert at the National Museum of Fine Arts. During the event, a new breastfeeding-themed music video directed by May Reguera will be premiered.

On August 9, Havana’s Quinta de los Molinos will host a public event under the 2025 theme, “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents,” which in Cuba is being adapted to focus on “Building Sustainable Support Systems.”

The press conference also recognized World Brain Day, celebrated today, highlighting breastfeeding as the first act of protection for a newborn’s brain, with lifelong impact.

Organizers called on the media to increase coverage and promotion of breastfeeding, portraying it as a practice rooted in health, beauty, protection, and love.