The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has called on health facilities across Ghana to establish breastmilk banks to improve access to breast milk for babies who may be unable to receive it directly from their mothers.
The Authority made the call as part of activities marking World Breastfeeding Week 2026, which is being observed under the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.”
In a statement issued by its Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Manso Oponi, the FDA said breastmilk banks have already been established in some hospitals and could help ensure that babies who need breast milk have access to it.
The Authority also called on the government, healthcare professionals, employers, families and communities to strengthen interventions that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
According to the FDA, breastfeeding remains one of the most effective and affordable public health interventions for improving child survival, nutrition and development.
The Authority said breast milk provides all the nutrients an infant needs during the first six months of life and helps protect children against diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, childhood obesity and other illnesses.
It encouraged mothers to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and practise exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life.
Mothers are also encouraged to continue breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary feeding for up to two years and beyond to support healthy growth, cognitive development and lifelong wellbeing.
The FDA said breastfeeding also provides health benefits to mothers, including reducing the risks of breast and ovarian cancers, supporting postpartum recovery and strengthening the bond between mother and child.
It further highlighted the environmental benefits of breastfeeding, noting that breast milk is a natural and renewable source of nutrition that requires no manufacturing, packaging or transportation.
Despite progress in Ghana, the Authority said aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes, changing lifestyles, workplace constraints, misinformation and inadequate family and community support continue to undermine optimal breastfeeding practices.
The FDA reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the Breastfeeding Promotion Regulation, 2000 (L.I. 1667), which regulates the marketing and distribution of breastmilk substitutes in Ghana.
It said it would continue monitoring compliance, conducting market surveillance and educating stakeholders to ensure mothers and caregivers receive accurate and evidence-based information on infant feeding.
The Authority also urged employers to establish breastfeeding-friendly workplaces by providing flexible arrangements, nursing breaks and safe, hygienic spaces where mothers can breastfeed or express and store breast milk.
Healthcare professionals were encouraged to provide consistent, evidence-based counselling to mothers before and after childbirth, while families and communities were urged to provide the emotional, practical and social support breastfeeding mothers require.
The FDA also called on the media to provide accurate information and counter misinformation about breastfeeding, while manufacturers, importers and distributors of breastmilk substitutes were reminded to comply with L.I. 1667 and ethical marketing requirements.
As part of this year’s commemoration, the FDA said it would collaborate with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ubora Quality Institute, the media and other stakeholders on public education and regulatory enforcement.
The Authority said protecting and promoting breastfeeding requires collective action to give children a healthier and more sustainable start in life.
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