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Breastfeeding is crucial for child health, with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommending that infants be breastfed within an hour of birth, exclusively for six months, and continue breastfeeding alongside other foods for two years or more. However, infectious disease outbreaks, such as Ebola, pose significant risks to breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
Threat to Mothers and Babies
Ebola is a highly contagious and deadly disease, with symptoms including fever, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe internal bleeding. Pregnant women and infants are particularly vulnerable during outbreaks. In Uganda, which declared an Ebola outbreak on January 30, 2025, breastfeeding is essential for child survival, making the crisis even more dire.
Breastmilk provides essential immune-boosting properties that protect infants from infections. However, during an Ebola outbreak, the risk of transmission through close contact and possibly through breastmilk raises concerns. Despite this, halting breastfeeding or separating mothers and babies can increase infant mortality by depriving them of vital nutrients and immunity.
Protection or Harm?
It is critical to determine which actions safeguard or endanger mothers and their babies during an Ebola outbreak. WHO guidelines on breastfeeding during Ebola outbreaks are based on limited evidence, often relying on expert opinion rather than robust research.
The lack of research on Ebola and breastfeeding has left crucial questions unanswered:
- Can Ebola be transmitted through breastmilk, and if so, for how long?
- Can expressed breastmilk be treated to make it safe?
- If both mother and baby are infected, is continued breastfeeding beneficial?
- Does vaccinating mothers against Ebola protect their infants?
- Are there risks for breastfed infants if their mothers are infected?
Without definitive answers, mothers may make decisions that inadvertently increase risks. Fear of vaccine-related harm may lead some to refuse vaccination, leaving them vulnerable to Ebola. Others may stop breastfeeding unnecessarily, exposing their infants to life-threatening infections.
The Call for Urgent Research
Despite longstanding calls for more research on Ebola and breastfeeding, progress has been minimal. This lack of data contributes to the broader “female data gap,” where research on women’s health and experiences is neglected.
A new paper published in The Lancet Global Health presents a roadmap for addressing these gaps. Researchers call for studies involving various groups of breastfeeding women, including:
- Vaccine recipients
- Mothers currently infected with Ebola
- Mothers recovering from Ebola
- Asymptomatic infected mothers
- Breastfeeding mothers in affected communities
Governments, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and health organizations must act now to fill these knowledge gaps. While conducting research during an outbreak is challenging, studies on vaccine safety can be conducted in advance. Pre-approved research plans can expedite studies when outbreaks occur.
Closing the Female Data Gap
Women have the right to the necessary societal and medical support to continue breastfeeding safely. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.” Addressing the Ebola-breastfeeding research gap is not just a medical necessity—it is a human rights issue.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. For guidance on breastfeeding and infectious diseases, consult healthcare professionals or refer to WHO guidelines.
More Information:
Catriona Waitt et al., Scarcity of research on breastfeeding and Ebola diseases is placing the lives of women and infants at risk: a call to specific action, The Lancet Global Health (2025). DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00445-5
Journal Information: The Lancet Global Health
