World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is a global campaign observed annually across the globe in the first week of August (i.e from 1st to 7th August), to raise awareness and promote action to support breastfeeding.
- WBW is coordinated annually by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Exam Hints:
- What? World Breast Feeding Week 2025
- When? First week of August (1-7)
- Organisers: WABA in collaboration with WHO & UNICEF
- Purpose: To support breastfeeding
- 2025 Theme: “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems”.
- Inception: Initiated in 1992 to commemorate the 1990 Innocenti Declaration
- First Observance: 1992
2025 Theme:
Theme: “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems”
Focus: This theme highlights the critical need to build and maintain robust, enduring support networks across all spheres: family, community, workplaces, and healthcare systems, to ensure breastfeeding success and continuity.
Background:
Inception: WBW was launched in 1992 to commemorate the Innocenti Declaration on the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding.
- This declaration was adopted during a high-level meeting held from 30th July to 1st August 1990 at the Spedale degli Innocenti in Florence, Italy.
- The 1990 meeting that led to the declaration was co-sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), based in Washington, D.C., United States of America (USA), and the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).
First Observance: The inaugural WBW was observed in 1992, marking the beginning of a global awareness campaign to advocate for breastfeeding as a public health priority.
Alignment with SDGs: In 2016, during the WABA 7th Global Breastfeeding Partners’ Meeting in Malaysia, the WBW campaign was aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strengthening its global relevance through the WBW-SDGs strategy.
Global Recognition by WHO: In 2018, the WHO officially endorsed World Breastfeeding Week as a significant global health promotion strategy during the World Health Assembly (WHA).
Ongoing Global Support: WBW continues to receive support from WHO, UNICEF, various Ministries of Health, and civil society organisations worldwide, making it one of the most recognised international campaigns for maternal and child health.
About Breastfeeding:
Significance: Breastfeeding is a key method to ensure infant health and survival, yet less than 50% of babies under six months are exclusively breastfed worldwide.
Immunity Boost: Breastmilk is a safe, clean, and ideal source of nutrition for infants, providing essential antibodies that protect against common childhood illnesses.
Benefits Breastfeeding supports maternal health by lowering the risk of postpartum complications and reducing the chances of developing breast and ovarian cancers.
Breastfeeding Statistics in India:
WHO Report 2025: National survey data (2017–2023) reveal that 46% of newborns were breastfed within the first hour of birth, against the Global Breastfeeding Collective target of 70%.
Breastfeeding Rates: 72% of mothers continue breastfeeding for at least 1 year. However, by the age of 2 years, the breastfeeding rate drops to 46%.
2025 Event:
GBC webinar: As part of WBW 2025, the Global Breastfeeding Collective (GBC) will organize a virtual webinar on August 5 & 6, 2025. The event will focus on strengthening breastfeeding support within healthcare systems
WHO Campaign: Under its initiative, “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures”, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to ensure continuous, system-wide support for mothers and infants throughout the breastfeeding journey.
- The campaign promotes the message “Invest in breastfeeding, invest in the future”, emphasizing the need for long-term investments in breastfeeding support to enhance health outcomes, reduce inequalities, and build more resilient societies.
About World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA):
WABA is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding across the world.
Executive Director(ED)- Amal Omer Salim
Headquarters- Penang, Malaysia
Established – 1991
