North Htan Kone village, Myanmar

Zar Gyi, 26, breastfeeds her child during a break from her work in a rice paddy. A community-based project to promote exclusive breastfeeding in 574 villages in Myanmar began in 2010. Nearly 500 staff and volunteers were trained in breastfeeding promotion and went door-to-door to educate women about the benefits of breastfeeding in the Phyu and Oaktwin townships.

Photo: Thame/Unicef

Nakipomia village, Uganda

Unicef’s Rosemary Alweny gives Vicky Nate guidance on how to breastfeed her three-week-old son, Angolere, in Nakipomia village, eastern Uganda. ‘“I felt a big responsibility when my son was born,’ said Abraham Loru, Nate’s husband. ‘Before he was born we went to the health centre. I learnt that I should give my wife extra support to reduce her stress. During pregnancy, she needed a variety of food to keep her strong and help the unborn baby stay safe and grow.’

Photo: Ose/Unicef

Aleppo, Syria

Every day, 25 health workers in seven trucks drive through the streets, attending to more than 400 children and women. “To help prevent malnutrition, a team of community volunteers accompanies the clinic, passing on information to mothers. Here, a volunteer with a mobile health clinic advises a mother about breastfeeding and early childhood feeding.

Photo: Al-Issa/Unicef

Punjab province, Pakistan

Samina Bibi breastfeeds her daughter, 18-month-old Afsana. Afsana, the youngest of Bibi’’s eight kids, arrived at the children’’s hospital in Multan with severe acute malnutrition but began to recover in days. Her swift response to treatment has been attributed to her being breastfed.

Photo: Pirozzi/Unicef

Kono district, Sierra Leone

Community health worker Tamba Musa supports the head of three-month-old Samuel, who is being breastfed by his mother. Gborie, whose husband was killed in a motorcycle accident, moved back to her parents’ home after her son was born. Samuel was hospitalised for two weeks at one point because he was not crying or breastfeeding. ‘At the hospital, they showed me how to breastfeed properly.’

Photo: Phelps/Unicef

Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Beatrice Amenan, 44, breastfeeds her nine-month-old baby Maeli. The child’s father, Tano Kouacou, 54, laughs that it will definitely be their last. Maman Ba Madeline (left) taught Amenan about the importance of exclusively breastfeeding her child for the first six months. The parents say they have noticed that their last four children, who were exclusively breastfed for the first six months, are healthier than the first two, who weren’t.

Photo: Dejongh/Unicef

Kono, Sierra Leone

Tenneh Mansaray breastfeeds her nine-day-old son, Manso Turay. ‘Nancy [the community health worker in her village] made me understand the benefits of going for clinic sessions when I am pregnant and also giving birth there,’ says Mansaray. ‘I don’’t mind walking four miles to get to the health facility because I know that the care I receive there I can’’t get in my village.’

Photo: Phelps/Unicef