Half a million Kenyan Babies Miss lifesaving Breastfeeding, Health Data Shows

Kenya is facing significant challenges in achieving its national breastfeeding goals, as evidenced by recent Ministry of Health data indicating that only 61 percent of newborns are exclusively breastfed for the recommended first six months. 

This figure falls considerably short of the 2030 target of 70 percent, threatening infant health outcomes nationwide. Despite sustained national efforts, a decade-long plateau in breastfeeding rates coincides with a notable increase in bottle feeding, which has risen from 22 percent to 34 percent over the past ten years. Health experts caution that this shift contributes to elevated rates of pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition among children under one year.

While Kilifi County demonstrates exemplary performance with near-universal breastfeeding, regional disparities persist. Urban mothers are more likely to delay breastfeeding initiation, contrasting with rural areas such as Vihiga and Elgeyo Marakwet, where early feeding within the first hour is more common. Professor Grace Irimu, a leading paediatrician, stresses the critical importance of early breastfeeding: “Children should be breastfed within five minutes of birth, and if mothers fail, let babies be fed within at least one hour after birth to save lives.”

Certain counties, including Nyeri, Kiambu, and Taita Taveta, are showing promising trends, but others, such as Nakuru, Kisii, and Baringo, continue to lag. This prompts renewed calls for targeted, county-level interventions. Officials propose expanding community education programmes to highlight the benefits of early initiation and the dangers of breast milk substitutes.

Experts advocate for workplace reforms to support breastfeeding mothers, including flexible schedules and designated lactation spaces, as essential measures to sustain exclusive breastfeeding through the crucial six-month period.