The First Lady and Health Ambassador, Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa, has issued a strong call for collective action to protect breastfeeding mothers, warning that cultural myths, workplace pressures and rampant misinformation are putting the health of Zimbabwean children at risk.
In a keynote address delivered on her behalf by Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora at the belated national commemorations of World Breastfeeding Week 2026 in Mhangura, the First Lady said motherhood should never be a lonely journey.
“No mother should feel like she is walking this journey alone,” she declared.
Dr. Mnangagwa framed breastfeeding not just as a maternal duty but as a national investment, telling the crowd that “breastfeeding is much more than feeding a child, it is an investment in life, health, the family, and ultimately the future of the nation.”
Weaving traditional wisdom into her health message, the First Lady reminded mothers that hygiene and dignity go hand in hand.
“Our traditional wisdom tells us, ‘hutsanana ndihwo hutano’ – cleanliness is health,” she said, urging mothers to breastfeed with confidence while upholding their dignity.
She highlighted government’s commitment to protecting infants through Statutory Instrument 192 of 2024, which regulates the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, and applauded innovation through the “Rerai Umntwana” digital parenting application.
“In an era where misinformation can spread rapidly, we must ensure that parents and caregivers have access to information that is accurate, trusted and easy to understand,” Dr. Mnangagwa stressed.
Linking the campaign directly to Vision 2030, she challenged three key groups to act: fathers to actively support their wives, employers to create breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, and traditional leaders and the private sector to champion child nutrition in their communities.
“If we want a healthy Zimbabwe tomorrow, we must nurture healthy children today,” she said. “When we support a mother, we support a child, when we support a child, we strengthen a family and when we strengthen families, we strengthen the nation.”
World Breastfeeding Week, marked globally from August 1 to 7, seeks to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life as critical to child survival, immunity and long-term development.
The Mhangura commemorations brought together government officials, health workers, mothers, traditional leaders and development partners in a united front for child health.
