Definition & calculation
Numerator: Number of surveyed infants aged 0-5 months who received only breast milk (no other food or liquids, including water) during the previous day
Denominator: Total number of infants aged 0-5 months surveyed
Using 24-hour maternal/caregiver recall, calculate the proportion of infants under 6 months fed only breast milk, following WHO/UNICEF IYCF indicator definitions.
Formula: (Numerator ÷ Denominator) × 100
Means of verification
Household or KAP survey using the standard WHO/UNICEF IYCF recall module
Interpretation
Typical reporting frequency: Baseline, midline and endline (or annual)
Guidance & common pitfalls
Based on a single 24-hour recall, this estimates population-level practice, not each infant's full feeding history; ensure the sample adequately captures the narrow 0-5 month band, which often yields small sub-samples with wide confidence intervals.
This library is a curated reference to adapt, aligned generically with recognised humanitarian frameworks (Sphere, cluster registries, IASC, CHS and others). It is not an official indicator registry — always use the exact indicator definitions your donor or cluster requires.
Related indicators
- Prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) among children aged 6-59 months
- % of caregivers of children in the treatment programme who report satisfaction with the nutrition services received
- % of caregivers of children under 2 who can correctly state at least two recommended IYCF practices
- % of children aged 6-23 months who received a minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in the previous 24 hours