Cuba on Monday marks World Breastfeeding Week with the principle that a mother's milk is the best food for a baby.

Havana, Cuba.- Dagoberto Rivera, coordinator of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Cuba, called this natural process the first vaccine that a human being receives at birth to be protected against several diseases.

It is not a matter of a single day, it is something that concerns us 365 days a year, said Rivera, who stressed that it is a child’s right and men cannot ignore it.

It is inadmissible that a child is deprived of breastfeeding before the age of six months, he stated.

Odalys Rodríguez, another UNICEF expert, pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic diverted attention from this problem, but it is time to refocus on the practice, promotion, and protection of the act of feeding a newborn.

Breastfeeding is included in the goals of the 2020-2030 agenda for sustainable development, it is exclusive for all babies up to six months of age, but it can be extended up to two years, explained the specialist, who stressed that mother’s milk is vital for a lifetime of good health. (PL)