Association News - ILCA and International Organizations in Lactation Advocacy

ILCA continues to advocate for breastfeeding and skilled lactation care in global forums.In September 2025, ILCA attended the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing (HLM4).Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are chronic health conditions that are not contagious, typically develop over a long period, and are a major global health concern.They include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and more, and are the leading cause of death globally, with more than 43 million deaths from NCDs in 2021, accounting for 75% of non-pandemic-related deaths.Additionally, 86% of premature NCD deaths occur in low-and middleincome countries, adding an equity component to addressing NCDs.ILCA submitted statements on the value of breastfeeding in reducing NCDs.The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies breastfeeding as one of the "best buys," those interventions that are the most cost-effective and feasible in reducing NCDs (WHO, 2024).Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and Type II diabetes in women who breastfeed, and protects against overweight, Type II diabetes, and leukemia in children who are breastfed.ILCA also identified that supporting breastfeeding requires a health workforce that includes those with specialized skills, such as lactation consultants.At ILCA's Annual Conference in November 2025, presentations on many global issues and their relation to breastfeeding and skilled lactation care were planned, including the BFHI Competency Verification Toolkit, mental health, disaster relief, capacity building for skilled lactation support, artificial intelligence, digital marketing of breastmilk substitutes, the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and more, in addition to many clinical and ORCID iD