PUTRAJAYA (Sept 21): Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has called for more private hospitals to implement the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative to help mothers, especially young ones to start their breastfeeding journey.

Currently, only 10.9 per cent or 19 out of 175 private hospitals had been recognised as Baby Friendly Hospitals, she said.

Dr Wan Azizah who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister said all government hospitals had been accredited as Baby Friendly Hospitals.

"It has given a huge impact on raising the exclusive breastfeeding practices in Malaysia," she said in her speech at the national-level World Breastfeeding Week 2018 here tonight.

Dr Wan Azizah said according to the 2016 National Health and Morbidity Survey, 98 per cent mothers in Malaysia had at some point breastfed their babies.

"The survey also revealed that there was also an increase in the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practices at six months of age — from 14.4 per cent in 2006 to 47.1 per cent in 2016," she said.

She also hoped that it would continue to increase to 70 per cent as targeted by the National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia III 2016-2025.