World Breastfeeding Week is being celebrated every year in the first week of August (from 1–7 August).
WHO, UNICEF, governments and various civil societies are being engaged globally to recognize breastfeeding as a powerful foundation for lifelong health, development and equity.
Under the theme “Let’s make breastfeeding at work, work” the World Breastfeeding Week is being marked as one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and babies need breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a baby’s first source of protection and nutrition. No doubt, breast milk is the ideal food for infants that is safe, clean and contains antibodies which protects against many common childhood illnesses.
Newborn infants are breastfed within one hour of birth and should breastfeed at least six months as infants are not given any kinds of foods and liquids. It is said breastfeed to infants till two years is much better.
Breast Milk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs in their life. Breastfed children seem healthier, sharp minds and normal weight. Breastfeeding leads to a brighter future of children. Thus, it reduces healthcare costs, boosts cognitive development, strengthens economies, and sets children up with healthy beginnings.
Breastfeeding protects babies from common infectious diseases and boosts children’s immune systems, providing the key nutrients children need to grow and develop to their full potential.
Babies who are not breastfed have a 14 times higher chance to die before their first birthday than those who are exclusively breastfed during their first six months.
As breastfeeding is environmentally sustainable, lowering carbon emissions, reducing waste and women who breastfeed will have a less chance of breast and ovarian cancers UNICEF and WHO call on all stakeholders to accelerate efforts to support breastfeeding mothers.
“many countries have made significant progress in breastfeeding rates. Yet even greater progress is possible when breastfeeding is protected and supported, particularly in the workplace,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ms. Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.
According to UNICEF and WHO breastfeeding among infants under six months has steadily rise from 52% in 2017 to 66.4% in 2024. Côte d’Ivoire, Marshall Islands, the Philippines, Somalia and VietNam have achieved high degrees index in breastfeeding rates, showing that progress is possible when breastfeeding is protected, promoted, and supported. In the last decade, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding has increased by a remarkable 10 percentage points, to 48 per cent globally.
However, to reach the global 2030 target of 70 percent, UNICEF and WHO urged national policy on breastfeeding women in the workplace to ensure a supportive breastfeeding environment for all working mothers by having access to regular breastfeeding breaks at work and a policy of paid maternity leave for a minimum of 18 weeks.
It is a need for greater breastfeeding support policy across all workplaces to sustain and improve progress on breastfeeding rates globally.
