As the curtains fall on World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2025, Kenya has renewed its commitment to prioritize breastfeeding and tackle malnutrition through sustainable and inclusive support systems.
Under the theme “Prioritize Breastfeeding Create Sustainable Support Systems,” this year’s commemorations emphasized the urgent need for coordinated action across all levels of society from households and communities to national and county policy platforms.
The national celebrations were officially launched on August 5th at Rongo University in Migori County, bringing together stakeholders from national and county governments, academia, civil society, and development partners.
The event underscored the crucial need to promote breastfeeding, improve nutrition, and integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems to safeguard child and maternal health.
Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, emphasized that breastfeeding is far more than a personal act it is a public health imperative and a national priority with far-reaching benefits.
“Breastfeeding is not just a personal choice. It is a national priority with long-term health, economic, and social benefits. We must build systems that protect, support, and promote it at home, at work, and in public spaces,” she said.
She called for greater investment in support systems across sectors, including workplaces, healthcare, educational institutions, and community settings, stating that the burden cannot rest on mothers alone.
A major highlight of the week was the inaugural of 1st Nutri-WASH Conference, held on August 6th and 7th at Rongo University was one of its kind. It was graced by Migori Governor Dr Grace Ochillo and other four first ladies from Marsabit Bomet and Bungoma counties.
The conference brought together experts, policy makers, researchers, and frontline health workers to examine how nutrition and WASH systems can work hand in hand to reduce undernutrition. Discussions explored how access to clean water, safe food handling, and hygiene education are essential to supporting exclusive breastfeeding and healthy child development.
The conference also addressed the burden placed on women as the primary caregivers and called for gender-equitable approaches in health programming
Ochillo took a firm stance on nutrition, calling for it to be treated as both a political and human rights agenda. “We must frame malnutrition not as a side issue, but as a political and national agenda. It’s about human rights, dignity, and the future of our children,” she stated.
She also highlighted the importance of dietary diversification in combating malnutrition and noted the county’s success in reducing stunting from 28% to 15% through community-led nutrition efforts. A local health official added, “There’s a cultural mindset where eating well is misunderstood. We must continue sensitizing our communities that proper nutrition is essential, not extravagant.”
From Marsabit County, First Lady Alamitu Jattani highlighted that malnutrition in the region is deeply rooted in illiteracy, cultural beliefs, and economic activities that limit access to nutritious food.
She emphasized the importance of simplifying nutrition messaging so that communities can normalize healthy eating without feeling overwhelmed. “We need to normalize eating a balanced diet without making nutrition sound complicated,” she said.
In Bungoma County, First Lady Margret Lusaka noted that cultural diversity continues to shape dietary habits and misconceptions. She remarked, “The poorer you are, the more you think eating bread is healthy,” pointing to the widespread belief that processed foods are a mark of health or affluence, when in reality, traditional diets often offer superior nutritional value.
Bomet County’s First Lady, Selina Barchok, shared that Bomet records some of the lowest malnutrition rates in the country thanks to proactive, community-driven nutrition efforts. She emphasized the important role women play in preparing nutritious meals and called on men to take responsibility for food provision. “Women must take charge of feeding the family well with the food that men provide. But men must not abandon this responsibility,” she said.
Through various projects, Bomet has been distributing vegetable seeds and Nyota a special bean variety for postnatal mothers to help improve nutrition at the household level.
However, she raised concerns about teenagers’ rejection of traditional vegetables such as managu. “Teenagers are very stubborn when it comes to eating nutritious foods like manage, terere, sagaa,misheveve among othersChildren do what you do, not what you say,” she noted, adding, “Sio bora chakula, ni chakula bora” it’s not just about having food, but having quality food.
Dr. Joyce Apuka, a paediatrician at Migori County Referral Hospital, expressed concern over the increasing number of young mothers under the age of 25 who are not adequately prepared to care for infants. “Under-fives are always admitted in severe conditions, often when it’s too late,” she explained.
She emphasized the need to empower Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to provide young mothers with knowledge and support before malnutrition becomes critical.
CARE Kenya’s Country Director, Hellen Owiti, delivered a powerful address calling for deeper integration of women’s lived realities into multi-sectoral systems. “We design policies around women without including them. We promote breastfeeding but fail to provide safe spaces or clean water,” she said, stressing that undernutrition and poor sanitation are symptoms of the undervaluing of women’s unpaid care work.
She highlighted CARE Kenya’s success through inclusive models such as the Farmer Field and Business Schools (FFBS), Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), and Mother-to-Mother Support Groups, which promote nutrition, women’s empowerment, and household resilience.
Owiti shared real examples of progress: In Garissa, 60% of water committee seats are now held by women. In Nakuru and Nyandarua, health facilities have introduced lactation rooms at county referral hospitals.
In Homa Bay, women have gained greater control over household budgets, helping them prioritize nutrition and healthcare needs.
Despite these gains, she warned that fragmented financing and uncoordinated policy implementation continue to undermine impact. “Women’s realities are not barriers,” she concluded. “They are blueprints for building better systems.”
Throughout the week’s events, it was acknowledged that 14 out of Kenya’s 47 counties are significantly affected by malnutrition. This reinforces the fact that malnutrition is not only a public health concern but also a political, social, and economic issue that must be addressed holistically.
Speakers throughout the week emphasized that behavior change, inclusive leadership, and political will are needed to address the root causes of poor nutrition. Male involvement in food provision and household care must be encouraged. Teenage mothers require targeted education and support.
Community Health Promoters must be trained, resourced, and empowered to lead at the grassroots. Dietary diversification, investment in sanitation infrastructure, and the creation of breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and public spaces are essential steps toward ending child malnutrition and promoting maternal health.
As the week’s activities come to an end, one resounding message remains: breastfeeding is one of the smartest, most cost-effective investments a country can make. It strengthens immunity, promotes cognitive development, protects mothers’ health, and reduces healthcare costs.
However, for breastfeeding to thrive, systems must work not just individuals. Trained health workers, supportive workplaces, empowered women, and engaged fathers all have a role to play.
Kenya has made important strides, but more must be done to ensure that no child is left behind due to preventable malnutrition or the lack of support for mothers. Breastfeeding is not just an act of care it is an act of nation-building.
