World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August all over the globe to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
Why is Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week
Breastfeeding is organized and promoted worldwide by the WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action), WHO (World Health Organization), and UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) to get the goal of elite breastfeeding by mothers their baby of first six months in order to get the incredible health benefits, to fulfill the all vital nutrients, to encourage mother for the healthy growth and development of their child, to guard them against the lethal health problems and diseases including neonatal jaundice, pneumonia, cholera and many more.
It was first started and celebrated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in the year 1992. And later it is being celebrated in more than 120 countries by the UNICEF, WHO, and their participants such as individuals, associations and governments.
This action was also established in the year 1991 on the 14th of Feb to promote the comprehensive breastfeeding culture worldwide by providing support and achieving the real goal.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action assisted and supported the social mobilization for the global promotion of the campaign of breastfeeding. WHO and WABA had decided a day committed to breastfeeding which has been marked as one of the important international events.
It is very necessary for mothers to get timely support and healthcare education for their babies including breastfeeding. Continuous support and intimation can bring gradual and permanent changes in social living and ultimately healthy and disease-free social living.
The strategy of peer counseling can be a beneficial and exceedingly productive approach to distribute the message of the breastfeeding campaign to a larger number of others worldwide in a less time period.
The trained person in the community can be a peer counselor which can support the mothers to combat their breastfeeding questions and issues.
Aims of World Breast Feeding Week Campaign
1. To call on the governments to get more worldwide maternity facilities in order to increase the rate and duration of elite breastfeeding.
2. To discover the contacts of the neighboring community support so that breastfeeding mothers can go to them to get help and support after delivery.
3. To make aware the peer group support mothers in order to establish and carry on breastfeeding.
4. To make aware the people to attend and expand the Peer Counseling programs by letting them know the effective and efficient benefits of Peer Counseling.
Themes of The Week
The theme of 2021 was “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding”
The theme of 2020 was “Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet“
The theme of 2019 was “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding”
The theme of 2018 was “BREASTFEEDING: Foundation of Life”
The theme of 2017 was “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together”.
The theme of 2016 was “Breastfeeding: A Key to Sustainable Development”
The theme of 2015 was “Breastfeeding and Work – Let’s Make it Work!”
The theme of 2014 was “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – For Life!”
The theme of 2013 was “Breastfeeding Support: Close To Mothers”.
The theme of 2012 was “Understanding the Past, Planning for the Future”.
The theme of 2011 was “Talk To Me! Breastfeeding – A 3D Experience”.
The theme of 2010 was “Breastfeeding, Just 10 Steps! – The baby-friendly way”.
The theme of 2009 was “Breastfeeding: A Vital Emergency Response”.
The theme of 2008 was “Mother Support: Going for the Gold Everyone Wins!”.
The theme of 2007 was “Breastfeeding: The 1st Hour – Save ONE million babies!”.
The theme of 2006 was “Code Watch – 25 Years of Protecting Breastfeeding”.
The theme of 2005 was “Breastfeeding and Family Foods: Loving & Healthy – Feeding Other Foods While Breastfeeding is Continued”.
The theme of 2004 was “Exclusive Breastfeeding: the Gold Standard – Safe, Sound, Sustainable”.
The theme of 2003 was “Breastfeeding in a Globalized World for Peace and Justice”.
The theme of 2002 was “Breastfeeding: Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies”.
The theme of 2001 was “Breastfeeding in the Information Age”.
The theme of 2000 was “Breastfeeding: It’s Your Right”.
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| August Social Events | Date of Celebration |
| World Breastfeeding Week | 1st August to 7th August |
| Organ Donation Day | 13th August |
| Independence Day – 15 August | 15th August |
| World Photography Day | 19th August |
| Sadbhavana Diwas | 20th August |
| World Senior Citizens Day | 21st August |
| National Eye Donation Fortnight | 25th August to 8th September |
| National Sports Day | 29th August |