Arrested development: 4th assessment of India’s policy and programmes on infant and young child feeding
India ranks lowest among South Asian countries in breastfeeding practices with only 44 per cent women being able to breastfeed their babies within one hour of delivery. According to a report released, ineffective policies, lack of budgets and coordination, and absence of better monitoring are limiting breastfeeding practices in India. Prepared by the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) and the Public Health Resource Network (PHRN), the assessment report on the government's policies and programmes on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) states that India made "slow progress" in enhancing breastfeeding practices in the past 11 years.