Ever since the Millennium Development Goals were adopted in 2000, many wondered how the world would look 15 years later. Looking back, we can see tremendous progress: more children survive, more girls are in school, and more women have access to family planning and economic opportunity. Now, moving forward towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, there is unprecedented energy to further this success — and that challenges us to aim higher.
As we look for the next great drivers of change, innovation is critical. But we must not forget long existing, low-cost, proven approaches. One of these could add billions of dollars to the global economy and save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, increase educational achievement and productivity, and decrease the incidence of cancer.
It sounds almost too good to be true, right? It’s not. It’s breast-feeding.
About the authors
Shawn Baker
Shawn Baker is chief program officer at Helen Keller Intl, a global organization that partners with communities to protect vision, improve nutrition, and eliminate disease, helping millions of children and families live healthier. Shawn serves as chair of the board of The Micronutrient Forum and on the international advisory group for the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit. He lives in Dakar, Senegal.
Cesar Victora
Cesar Victora is emeritus professor of epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil and has honorary appointments at Harvard, Oxford and Johns Hopkins University, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has conducted extensive research in maternal and child health and nutrition, birth cohort studies, inequalities in health, and on the evaluation of the impact of major global health programs.
