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Questions and Answers about the National Breastfeeding Promotion Campaign



Why do we need a national breastfeeding promotion campaign?


A national breastfeeding promotion campaign provides the opportunity to contribute to efforts to improve the long-term health of the population, reduce health inequalities between population groups. It is also an integral part of the response to the recommendation of the Health Select Committee to implement the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, and coordinate efforts towards reaching the breastfeeding indicators within Health Target Eight (refer to section on breastfeeding health targets for further information).

A national breastfeeding promotion campaign contributes to five of the thirteen health priority objectives set out in the New Zealand Health Strategy:

Breastfeeding is important for nutritional and physical wellbeing from infancy right through to adulthood. Evidence indicates that breastfeeding has health benefits for the infant and the mother in both the short and long term. The short term benefits of breastfeeding include decreased incidence of otitis media, acute respiratory infections, diarrhoea and gastroenteritis, especially in less than optimal environments, urinary tract infection, and sepsis and meningitis. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden unexpected infant death (SUDI). The long term benefits from breastfeeding include a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Breastfeeding benefits for the mother are a reduction in risk of post-partum haemorrhaging, and breast and ovarian cancer.

Although New Zealand has breastfeeding rates at birth that are consistent with other OECD countries, rates are lower at six weeks, especially among Māori and Pacific women. Reducing inequalities between Māori and non-Māori and Pacific and non-Pacific populations is a major focus for the Ministry of Health (the Ministry).

Breastfeeding features in the Ministry’s Healthy Eating-Healthy Action (HEHA) strategy and its associated implementation plan. A key action from the HEHA strategy is to develop policies and campaigns that promote and support breastfeeding with a particular emphasis on high-need groups and Māori and Pacific peoples who have lower rates of breastfeeding than the non- Māori and non-Pacific population. The HEHA strategy is addressing health inequalities between these population groups.

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What are the breastfeeding health targets for New Zealand?


The Ministry of Health set health targets for the 2007/08 year. The health targets remain in place for 2008/09. The national breastfeeding promotion campaign aligns with target eight of the ten health targets; improve nutrition, increase physical activity and reduce obesity. One of the two indicators for this target is increasing the proportion of infants exclusively and fully breastfed at:

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What are the breastfeeding rates in New Zealand?


New Zealand’s breastfeeding rates for 2007 are as follows:

Table one: A breakdown of breastfeeding rates in New Zealand based on Plunket data
A breakdown of breastfeeding rates in NZ.
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How will the campaign be funded?


The Government has funded the Ministry of Health to develop a breastfeeding promotion campaign and implement the campaign as part of the Healthy Eating-Healthy Action programme.

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Why do breastfeeding rates decline after birth?


There are a number of barriers that contribute to the decline in breastfeeding rates. These include:
Note: more intense and/or additional barriers are experienced by teenage parents, Māori, Pacific peoples, new migrants, and people on low income.

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What is the Ministry of Health using to develop the campaign?


The Ministry of Health commissioned scoping work to determine the barriers to breastfeeding, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples, and how to address those barriers.

There were two parts to the scoping work:

Part one: Qualitative research was undertaken to better understand public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours with regards to breastfeeding and perceived barriers to breastfeeding, particularly for high-need groups and Māori and Pacific peoples.

Part two: A comprehensive plan that considers and integrates the findings of all available information (includes a literature review and snapshot of breastfeeding services currently provided at local, regional and national levels) and includes the information obtained from undertaking qualitative research in part one. The plan will be used to inform the design and implementation of a national breastfeeding promotion campaign that will result in improved breastfeeding rates.

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What is the goal of the campaign?


The overall goal is to increase the proportion of infants being exclusively breastfed to six months and the proportion of infants partially breastfed beyond 6 months (this is consistent with World Health Organization breastfeeding recommendations); the objectives are to:

Three settings have been identified as areas of intervention; health system, family/whānau, and communities including workplaces. Māori and Pacific peoples have been identified as the key priority groups for the campaign, although it is also envisaged that generic elements of the campaign will reach high-need groups of all ethnicities. A staged approach has been recommended beginning with the health system.

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Are there any other initiatives underway by the Ministry of Health to promote, support and protect breastfeeding in New Zealand?


The Ministry of Health has a number of strategies, initiatives, and programmes that promote and support breastfeeding:

Relevant strategies are:

The National Breastfeeding Advisory Committee was established in 2006 and the key role of the Committee has been to prepare a national strategic plan of action for breastfeeding, which builds on Breastfeeding: A Guide to Action (MoH 2002).

The food and nutrition guidelines background papers provide best practice guides for nutrition during pregnancy, and for feeding infants and toddlers:
Protection of breastfeeding - Implementing and Monitoring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: The Code in New Zealand (for further information refer to the section on international strategies and codes that guide New Zealand policies and practices on breastfeeding).

Initiatives, providers and programmes include the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and Baby Friendly Community Initiative, maternity service providers, Well Child providers, breastfeeding advocacy and support programmes, DHB pregnancy and parenting programmes.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) supports and promotes exclusive breastfeeding to mothers in the early stages of initiation. This initiative has been successfully implemented in maternity hospitals across the country. There are now 64 hospitals accredited as being Baby Friendly. The Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) is a continuation of support following the BFHI and provides support across the different breastfeeding stages in a child’s life. BFCI aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in the community. This is particularly important due to the fact that most post-natal mothers have a very short stay in hospital and this is the crucial time to provide support with the establishment of breastfeeding.

BFHI and BFCI are integral components of the work to improve the breastfeeding environment in New Zealand.

Other agencies also undertake work that contributes to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and infant nutrition:

The Ministry of Justice

The Department of Labour

The Department of Corrections

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs

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What international strategies and codes guide New Zealand policies and practices on breastfeeding?


The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding
The Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (the Global Strategy) is a guide to action which suggests country-specific approaches to improve feeding practices though the adoption of nine operational targets . The Ministry of Health has implemented the Global Strategy through a number of strategies and initiatives. These include:

For further information view the Ministry of Health's Nutrition website

The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the International Code) (WHO 1981) was adopted by New Zealand in 1983. New Zealand, as a signatory to the International Code is committed to working towards adopting its aims. Implementing and Monitoring the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in New Zealand: the Code in New Zealand (Ministry of Health 2007) represents the best position possible given New Zealand’s current legislative and commercial environment. Collectively the Code in New Zealand, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (FSC 2002) and The Code for Advertising of Food (ASA 2007) cover all 11 articles of the International Code giving effect to its principles and aims.

For further information view the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes website

How will we measure the success of the campaign?


The main tool for measuring the success of the campaign will be through monitoring the breastfeeding rates and the effectiveness of the campaign.

The overarching campaign goal is to increase environmental support to initiate and maintain breastfeeding, especially for Māori and Pacific people. Therefore, an important part of measuring the success of the campaign will be to measure increases in the level of support.
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Page last updated: 29 July 2008