Casablanca – Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection has launched the 16th edition of its national breastfeeding promotion campaign, running from October 20 to November 20, in partnership with the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH).
The campaign carries the slogan “Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life is enough.” It aims to encourage practices that support maternal and child health and nutrition, with a particular focus on the first six months after birth.
The initiative also follows royal directives that call for investment in human capital from early childhood to become a national priority, according to the ministry’s announcement.
The campaign forms part of Morocco’s National Communication Strategy for Social and Behavioral Change, which seeks to promote healthy practices and better nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. This period plays an important role in a child’s physical and cognitive development.
Awareness activities across communities
The ministry plans to mobilize healthcare professionals, community workers, and local media to spread information about breastfeeding and encourage early and exclusive breastfeeding.
The campaign also seeks to reinforce the role of health services and community outreach in promoting breastfeeding practices. The ministry’s broader approach includes strengthening the “Baby-Friendly Hospitals” initiative and ensuring compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.
These measures aim to support breastfeeding and address the promotion of alternatives to breast milk in line with international guidelines.
The campaign follows international health recommendations that recognize breastfeeding as an important way to support infant development and help prevent malnutrition and chronic diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that mothers initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months. It also advises continuing breastfeeding alongside complementary foods until children reach two years of age or beyond.
Breastfeeding can provide benefits for mothers as well as infants. The ministry has previously pointed to evidence linking breastfeeding with lower risks of certain diseases, including breast and ovarian cancer.
The campaign also places breastfeeding within a wider effort to improve public health indicators and strengthen human development in Morocco. By encouraging healthy feeding practices during early childhood, the ministry aims to support children’s development from the beginning of life.
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