Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain said many newborns are being denied necessary breast milk because of modern lifestyles, calling this a worrying trend for the health and mental development of future generations.

He was speaking as chief guest on 1 August at the opening of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, held at the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka and organized by the Institute of Public Health Nutrition, under a theme urging breastfeeding at the start of life and accelerating sustainable efforts.

The minister said family practices that once ensured breastfeeding and child care have declined as lifestyles changed, with newborns being separated from mothers after birth, work pressures and changed daily routines preventing many mothers from breastfeeding for the required time.

He called for ensuring colostrum within the first hour after birth, described breast milk as a child's best natural food for immunity, physical growth and mental development, and said malnourished children face a higher risk of infections.

He also expressed concern about excessive fast food, unhealthy eating habits and a lack of balanced diet, and called for reducing over-reliance on marketed alternatives to breast milk.

He urged extending awareness efforts year-round at district, upazila and union levels and instructed the public health nutrition institute, civil surgeons, district administrations and local health officers to work together.

Special guest and Director General of Health Services Prof. Dr. Prabhat Chandra Bishwas said Bangladesh remains in a positive position on breastfeeding compared with many developed countries but still needs coordinated efforts, adding that regular breastfeeding may lower mothers' risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

The programme was chaired by ministry secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury and attended by the prime minister's health adviser Dr. Ziauddin Haider, Family Planning Director General Dr. Jinnat Rehana and Institute of Public Health Nutrition Director Dr. Mohammad Yunus Ali.