Assessing the effectiveness of policies relating to breastfeeding promotion, protection and support in Vietnam – quantitative data for survey of mothers of infants

Project description: In Vietnam, aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes has impacted breastfeeding practices, prompting interventions by the Ministry of Health and support from international organizations to improve policies and regulations. Alive & Thrive has been instrumental in strengthening these policies since 2009, focusing on Code strengthening, maternity protection, and health systems, as well as establishing Breastfeeding-Friendly Centers of Excellence. However, a lack of direct evidence on the impact of the BMS Code on breastfeeding practices in Vietnam necessitates further research to understand the effectiveness of these policy interventions and to advocate for stronger enforcement. This study was conducted to examine the potential impact of maternity and child protection policies on breastfeeding practices. This study is a part of a larger mixed method study evaluating effectiveness of policies relating to breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support in Southeast Asia. Refer to the published research protocol and related papers.