Macau now has 370 breastfeeding rooms across public and private organisations, with the city’s “breastfeeding initiation rate”* rising above 90 percent, a milestone reflecting years of concerted community-wide efforts, according to a statement from the Health Bureau (SSM) on Tuesday.
The Health Bureau held its “2026 Breastfeeding Promotion Commendation Ceremony” on Saturday in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, the statement added.
Addressing the ceremony, SSM Deputy Director Cheang Seng Ip highlighted that breastfeeding provides a vital foundation for maternal and infant health, adding that enabling mothers to comfortably start and sustain breastfeeding requires a joint effort across families, healthcare providers, workplaces, schools, and local communities, according to the statement.
Over the years, Cheang noted that his bureau has focused on three core pillars: breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, breastfeeding-friendly campuses, and family-supported breastfeeding. He added that by leveraging health centres, medical institutions, and community partners, these entities provide pregnant women and families with education, guidance, and continuous care to build a comprehensive support network, the statement said.
In active alignment with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, the local government continues to implement its “Healthy Macao Blueprint”, focusing on resident health and driving child, maternal, and family-friendly policies, Cheang pointed out, adding that his bureau, through its “Healthy Community” initiative, is collaborating with various sectors to promote a supportive breastfeeding culture, aiming to strengthen the city’s maternal and child health support network, offering comprehensive health safeguards for women, children, and families, the statement added.
The ceremony featured two breastfeeding mothers speaking of their personal experience, the statement noted, adding that certificates of commendation were presented to recognise participants and organisations across the community, including 314 public and private entities for promoting breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, 10 schools for supporting breastfeeding-friendly campuses, and 175 mothers who continuously breastfed their infants for six months, one year, or two years and beyond.
*The breastfeeding initiation rate is a key public health and epidemiological metric. It measures the percentage of infants who are put to the breast or fed breast milk at least once after birth. – Gemini
This undated handout photo provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Tuesday shows participants who continuously breastfed their infants for six months receiving certificates of commendation during the “2026 Breastfeeding Promotion Commendation Ceremony” on Saturday.
