JUBA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has made significant progress in promoting breastfeeding, with the proportion of children under six months exclusively breastfed increasing to 73 percent in 2024 from 45 percent in 2010, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday.

According to UNICEF, to reach the 2027 national target of 80 percent of children exclusively breastfed, the whole of society must address women's barriers to exclusive breastfeeding.

"We must all play our part to support breastfeeding mothers and break down the barriers they face," said UNICEF Representative in South Sudan Noala Skinner, during the launch of a commemoration to mark the World Breastfeeding Week in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

South Sudan's Minister of Health Sarah Cleto Rial said that prioritizing breastfeeding requires the active commitment and support of everyone.

"The government reaffirms its commitment by empowering healthcare workers with skills to provide breastfeeding counselling in antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care and strengthening hospital and community linkages," she added.

UNICEF also noted that in South Sudan, three out of every 10 newborns remain deprived of their right to a healthy start to life and miss out on the appropriate first food in the first six months of life.

Barriers faced by mothers include cultural practices, lack of support at home and work, misinformation, aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and the pressures of insecurity and displacement, which hinder successful breastfeeding, the agency warned.

It added that improving breastfeeding practices is essential to combat South Sudan's persistently high rates of infant mortality and acute malnutrition.

The World Breastfeeding Week takes place from Aug. 1 to 7, with a global theme of "Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems." ■