47% of babies under 6 months in Ghana are not on exclusive breastfeeding – Survey

The 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) indicates that nearly half (47.4%) of babies under 6 months in the country are not being exclusively breastfed.

A development that has stagnated over the past two decades. According to the report, though breastfeeding in Ghana is near universal, the initiation and duration of exclusive breastfeeding falls short of the WHO recommendation for breastfeeding.

“Almost half (47.4%) of children aged 0 to 5 months in Ghana were not being exclusively breastfed,” a press release issued by the Ghana Statistical Service revealed.

The report also noted that two in every five (41.8%) children born in the two years preceding the 2022 GDHS did not start breastfeeding within the first hours of life.

In three regions, more than half of the children did not start breastfeeding within the first hour of life. The Greater Accra- 56.2%, Ahafo- 56.1%, and Eastern- 51.7%.

The regions with the lowest percentages are the Bono East -29.4% and Volta- 31.6%.
Nationally, the median duration for exclusive breastfeeding recorded was 2.9 months.

The Western North Region (shortest median duration) – 1 month, the Western Region- 1.2 months and the Greater Accra – 1.4 months. The Savannah Region recorded the (longest median duration) – 4.7 months and Volta Region- 4.4 months.

Half of the 16 regions had a median duration for exclusive breastfeeding of less than three months. The Savannah Region had the longest median duration for exclusive breastfeeding (4.7 months) followed by the Volta Region (4.4 months).

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