For more than a decade, HIV positive mothers in South Africa were assured they could stop the transmission of the virus that causes AIDS by not breastfeeding their babies. So, instead these women feed their infants formula.

But by not breastfeeding, they were exposing them to other deadly childhood killers like diarrhea and pneumonia. Now the South African government is rolling out a new policy with the help of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, that aims to bring down the stubbornly high levels of infant and child mortality.

Julie Walker reports.

Duration: 2'55"