Research has illuminated the longer-term health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the mother and child. These benefits include reducing the risk of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence and certain non-communicable diseases later in life and enhancing human capital in adulthood.
Additionally, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure among mothers.

Way forward Breastfeeding requires a lot of effort from mothers and support from wider networks, including their families, communities, workplaces, health systems, and government leadership.