World Health Organization (WHO) supports Mauritius in developing its first National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy

 

Mauritius, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), completed a three-day national consultative workshop from 17 to 19 November 2025 to develop its first comprehensive National Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Policy. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with technical assistance from WHO AFRO, WHO Headquarters, and in-country partners. Infant and young child feeding is central to the survival, growth, and long-term wellbeing of children. 

Although Mauritius has strong programmes such as the National Action Plan on Breastfeeding (2022–2027) recent analyses have highlighted the absence of a unified national IYCF policy. This gap has led to:

•    Fragmented interventions across health, labour, education, and social sectors
•    Limited enforcement of breastfeeding protection and maternity entitlements
•    Insufficient guidance for supporting preterm and low-birth-weight infants
•    Variations in feeding counselling and community support
•    Lack of a structured response to IYCF during emergencies and disease outbreaks

Given Mauritius’ increasing number of preterm births and the need to strengthen early childhood development, a national policy is essential to provide one coherent, evidence-based framework that protects, promotes, and supports optimal feeding for all infants, including the most vulnerable.

Over three days, more than 40 participants including pediatricians, nurses, midwives, nutritionists, NGOs, worked collaboratively to produce key components of the upcoming IYCF Policy.

Key outcomes and results:

1. Evidence-informed gap identification
Participants reviewed national data, legal frameworks, and WHO/UNICEF global recommendations to identify priority gaps, including:
•    Insufficient maternity protection and workplace breastfeeding support
•    Partial implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
•    Inconsistent counselling practices across facilities
•    Need for standardized guidance on complementary feeding
•    Limited community-based support systems
•    Gaps in managing IYCF during emergencies and climate-related shocks

2. Development of the policy vision and objectives
Stakeholders jointly drafted the vision, guiding principles, and policy objectives centred on:
•    Ensuring every child receives optimal feeding from birth
•    Strengthening health systems, community structures, and workplace protections
•    Supporting mothers and families with accurate, accessible information
•    Addressing the needs of preterm, low-birth-weight, and medically vulnerable infants

3. Policy strategic directions
Four strategic directions emerged from the workshop discussions:
1.    Strengthening governance and legal frameworks (including maternity protection and regulation of marketing practices)
2.    Enhancing service delivery in health facilities and communities
3.    Improving training and capacity-building for health workers
4.    Building multisectoral systems, aligning with labour, education, social protection, disaster management, and media
4. Drafting of the implementation roadmap (2025–2030)

Participants outlined key activities, responsible sectors, monitoring indicators, and timelines to ensure the policy is operational, measurable, and aligned with national priorities.

During her opening statement, Dr Anne Ancia, WHO Representative in Mauritius, emphasized that the development of a national IYCF policy represents “a decisive step in strengthening one of the most powerful interventions for newborn survival: optimal feeding practices, especially breastfeeding and Kangaroo Mother Care”.   She commended national commitment and reaffirmed WHO’s full support throughout the process of finalization and implementation.

Dr Tavisha Gunness, National Coordinator for Sexual and Reproductive Health, highlighted that multiple national dataset, policy documents, and laws were reviewed. She underscored that the draft IYCF elements were built through cross-sector collaboration and alignment with global standards.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness and WHO reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that every infant in Mauritius receives the best possible start in life through strong, coordinated, and evidence-based infant and young child feeding practices.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Mauritius.