World Breastfeeding Week is observed every year from 1 to 7 August to promote, protect and support breastfeeding worldwide. It reminds families, health workers, employers and governments that breastfeeding is not only a personal choice but also a key public health intervention that can save lives and improve long term health.
History
World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992, coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in collaboration with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO). It grew out of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding, which called on governments to create environments where breastfeeding could flourish.
Since then, World Breastfeeding Week has become the largest annual campaign to promote breastfeeding in more than 120 countries. Each year has a specific theme that may focus on health system support, family and community support, working mothers and maternity protection, or links between breastfeeding, food security and sustainable development.
Why it matters
WHO and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, meaning the baby receives only breast milk and no other foods or liquids, not even water, except for medicines or vitamins when needed. After 6 months, they advise introducing safe and nutritious complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond.
Breast milk provides ideal nutrition that changes with the baby's needs and contains antibodies and immune factors that formula cannot fully copy. Breastfed babies have lower risk of diarrhoea, pneumonia, ear infections and severe malnutrition. Breastfeeding also supports brain development and may reduce the risk of obesity and some non-communicable diseases later in life.
Mothers benefit too. Breastfeeding helps the uterus return to its normal size, can reduce bleeding after birth and may lower the long term risk of breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes. It can also strengthen emotional bonding between mother and baby.
Despite these benefits, many mothers face barriers, such as lack of correct information, pressure from aggressive formula marketing, short or unpaid maternity leave, no private space or time to breastfeed or express milk at work, and cultural myths that discourage exclusive breastfeeding. World Breastfeeding Week addresses these barriers by promoting the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, stronger maternity protection laws, family support and regulation of breast milk substitutes.
Key facts
Global campaign
- World Breastfeeding Week has been observed globally since 1992
- coordinated by WABA with support from WHO and UNICEF.
Exclusive breastfeeding
- WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life.
Health protection
- breastfeeding lowers the risk of infections
- diarrhoea
- pneumonia and malnutrition in infants and young children.
Health for mothers
- breastfeeding helps protect mothers against breast and ovarian cancer and some other chronic diseases.
Economic and environmental benefits
- breastfeeding is cost effective for families and environmentally friendly
- as it produces no packaging waste and requires no fuel for preparation.
In Bangladesh
Bangladesh has made breastfeeding a national priority within its maternal and child health and nutrition programs. Surveys show that the rate of early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is relatively high compared with many countries in the region, although there are differences between urban and rural areas and between richer and poorer households.
The country has adopted the Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) Act, which regulates the marketing of infant formula and related products to protect breastfeeding from commercial pressure. The law restricts advertising and promotional activities that may discourage mothers from breastfeeding.
Community health workers, including family welfare assistants and health assistants, counsel mothers and families on early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, giving colostrum, avoiding giving water, honey or other foods in the first 6 months, and continuing breastfeeding alongside complementary feeding after 6 months. Many government and NGO facilities promote rooming in and skin to skin contact to support bonding and breastfeeding.
On World Breastfeeding Week, hospitals, clinics, professional bodies and media in Bangladesh organize rallies, counselling sessions, television programs and social media campaigns. Messages focus on the benefits of breast milk, the importance of supporting mothers at home and work, and the legal protection that exists against misleading formula marketing.
For families, the core message is clear. Breast milk is the safest, most complete and most affordable food for most babies. With encouragement from partners, grandparents, health workers and employers, mothers can breastfeed successfully and give their children the best possible start in life.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should exclusive breastfeeding continue?
- WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life, with no other foods or liquids, not even water, except for medicines or vitamins when needed. After 6 months, safe complementary foods should be added while breastfeeding continues up to 2 years or beyond.
- Does Bangladesh have laws protecting breastfeeding?
- Yes. Bangladesh has the Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) Act, which restricts aggressive marketing and promotion of infant formula and similar products, in order to protect and support breastfeeding.
- How can families and workplaces support breastfeeding mothers?
- Families can support mothers by helping with household work, ensuring the mother has enough rest and nutritious food, and encouraging exclusive breastfeeding. Workplaces can provide paid maternity leave, flexible hours, breastfeeding or pumping breaks and a private, clean space to express and store breast milk.