According to the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), a significant 47.4 percent of children aged 0 to 5 months in Ghana were not exclusively breastfed.
The survey also revealed that, the percentage of children under 6 months who are not exclusively breastfed has remained relatively unchanged over the past two decades, with a slight increase of 0.8 percentage points from 46.6% in 2003 to 47.4% in 2022.
Additionally, the survey highlighted that 41.8% of children born in the two years preceding the 2022 GDHS did not begin breastfeeding within the first hour of life.
The report noted that in three regions—Greater Accra (56.2%), Ahafo (56.1%), and Eastern (51.7%)—more than half of the children did not start breastfeeding within the first hour. Conversely, the regions with the lowest percentages were Bono East (29.4%) and Volta (31.6%).
This data was released by the Ghana Statistical Service in commemoration of World Breastfeeding Week, which is observed annually during the first week of August to emphasize the importance of breastfeeding and to promote access to breastfeeding support and resources.
The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2024 is “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.”