Breastfeeding saves lives. It is one of the most powerful, proven investments in child survival, development and health. And yet its practice is being undermined — not by science, but by sophisticated and often misleading digital marketing.
More than half of new parents are exposed to online promotions for formula milk, often disguised as medical advice or peer support. In some countries, that figure rises to over 90 per cent.
What these aggressive campaigns for breast milk substitutes (BMS) do not tell parents is that breast milk is essential for building a child’s immune system — something formula simply cannot do. They also ignore a critical risk: formula must be mixed with water, and in communities without safe water access, this often leads to illness and infection in young children.
Digital marketing campaigns are targeting parents at their most vulnerable — when they are seeking guidance, not manipulation. These tactics distort choice by drowning out trusted, evidence-based information with biased, misleading promotion.
This not only undermines public health principles and a decade of progress in breastfeeding promotion, it also puts the health and future of entire generations at risk.
These digital marketing tactics contravene a longstanding global framework. The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1981, was designed to protect families from precisely this kind of exploitation.
Yet, as a 2022 WHO and UNICEF report revealed, formula companies now spend up to 70 per cent of their marketing budgets on digital tools — from apps and virtual baby clubs to paid influencers and online forums — harvesting personal data and pushing targeted promotions in breach of the Code.
In response, WHO member states adopted a landmark resolution at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this week (26 May) to curb digital marketing of breast milk substitutes and protect parents’ right to accurate, transparent information. Led by Mexico and Brazil and supported by nine country members of the UN-hosted Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, this resolution is a critical step forward.
The science on breast milk is long proven. By providing essential nutrition, strengthening immunity, and supporting cognitive development, breastfeeding can radically change the health and economic outcomes of mother and child.
Scaling up breastfeeding globally could prevent 823,000 unnecessary child deaths and 20,000 deaths from breast cancer every year. It has been linked to a 20 per cent reduction in the risk of physical and cognitive stunting.
These recognised advantages of breast milk had begun to take hold. Since 2012, rates of exclusive breastfeeding have risen from 37 per cent to nearly 48 per cent in 2021. Three quarters of these children live in low- and lower-middle-income countries, which represents important, tangible progress.
But digital platforms spreading misleading formula marketing are cutting into this progress, with inadequate breastfeeding responsible for 16 per cent of child deaths each year.
The new resolution gives countries a new framework to take action. Translating this into results will, however, require further coordinated efforts across sectors.
First, stronger enforcement is essential. Countries need robust monitoring and accountability systems to track violations and respond effectively. Vietnam offers a promising model: with support from the SUN Civil Society Alliance, it has launched the AI-powered Virtual Violations Detector, which identifies breaches of the Code in real time and alerts regulators, enabling swift action and targeted advocacy.
Another step will be to align fragmented policies across civil society and health systems. Harmful breast milk substitute marketing flourishes in disconnected systems, such as when health workers lack guidance, civil society is under-resourced, or tech platforms are unregulated. To close these gaps, governments must adopt an approach that brings all actors to the table.
Finally, it is equally important to support positive campaigns that champion breastfeeding. It is not enough to restrict harmful marketing — parents need support and encouragement to make informed decisions.
El Salvador has shown through its “Nacer con Cariño” (Born with Love) national policy how the promotion of breastfeeding can be integrated into prenatal and delivery care. Since its implementation in 2021, 69,000 babies have been born under this respectful care model and, thanks to the training of more than 1,000 breastfeeding counsellors supported by the SUN Movement, the country has far surpassed the global exclusive breastfeeding targets of 50 per cent for 2025, reaching a rate of more than 65 per cent.
Informed parents make empowered choices, and empowered choices give every child the best possible start in life.
Together with the resolution on the extension of the World Health Assembly nutrition targets, and the commitments made by countries at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris earlier this year, we have a renewed mandate to act. Let’s make sure we use it and ensure this resolution moves from Geneva into meaningful action and change online and on the ground.
Afshan Khan is Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement.
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