The New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance (NZBA) works to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in New Zealand by managing the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI).

Breastfeeding is the foundation for optimum nutrition from birth. The NZBA's vision is to see breastfeeding become the cultural norm in New Zealand.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.

The NZBA works to ensure all mothers have access to the right information and support in hospital and the wider community to confidently breastfeed. This includes providing clear, accurate and unbiased information to non-breastfeeding mothers so they can make an informed decision on how to feed their babies.

"In infancy no gift is more precious than breastfeeding"
(WHO, 2003)