What plans does the Welsh Government have for the infant feeding programme?
The Welsh Government launched the All-Wales Breastfeeding 5-year action plan in July 2019 (AWBAP). The plan identified strategic goals and aimed to guide action for the immediate support for women and families for breastfeeding, together with wider actions to support continued feeding for those mothers who are working and for the wider population health so that breastfeeding is a culturally accepted, supported option.
To reignite momentum following the Covid pandemic, the Welsh Government funded two posts in the Health Improvement Division of Public Health Wales to lead on implementing the plan. A National Lead Midwife for Breastfeeding and a Principal Public Health Nutritionist were recruited, and key actions have been achieved in the plan with events sharing best practice enabling spread and scale across Wales.
The Welsh Government is currently awaiting evidence and proposed recommendations from Public Health Wales to inform the development of an Infant Feeding Action Plan. This will replace the Welsh Government’s 2019, 5-year Breastfeeding Action Plan.
The Welsh Government recognises good nutrition is fundamental to a child’s continued health, from birth through adulthood. The first two years of life provide a critical window of opportunity for ensuring children's appropriate growth and development through optimal feeding, including maintaining a healthy weight.
The Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales delivery plan 2025-2027 will have a focus on children and early years.