Somalia's Federal Ministry of Health and Human Services, together with UNICEF, WHO and partners, officially signed and launched the Somalia Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS) Regulations during the national opening of World Breastfeeding Week 2026, UNICEF Somalia said in a press release dated 1 August 2026. The agencies said the rules regulate marketing of breast-milk substitutes in line with international standards, aiming to shield families from inappropriate commercial influence.

The release, marking the week observed from 1 to 7 August under the theme "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works," reported that about 60% of newborns are breastfed within the first hour of life, while 34% of infants under six months are exclusively breastfed. Continued breastfeeding declined to 49% at one year and 40% at two years, it said.

The ministry, UNICEF and WHO also outlined areas for collective action, including support for breastfeeding across the health system, expanding community-based counselling, and implementing and enforcing the new regulations. The agencies described the adoption as a step that would need effective monitoring and enforcement to protect mothers from inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes.