World Breastfeeding Week, celebrated annually from August 1st to 7th, stands as a global testament to the importance of breastfeeding in nurturing healthy infants and supporting maternal well-being. This week-long observance, first celebrated in 1992, commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF, and other organisations to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

World Breastfeeding Week emerged from a collective recognition of the need to prioritise breastfeeding on a global scale. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network dedicated to protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding worldwide, organises this annual event. WABA collaborates closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF to ensure that aid reaches the right communities and individuals.

The overarching goal of World Breastfeeding Week is multifaceted. It highlights the importance of breastfeeding, encourages and promotes breastfeeding practices, and improves the health outcomes for babies and mothers globally

World Breastfeeding Week adopts a specific theme to focus its efforts and messaging each year. For 2025, the theme is “Prioritise breastfeeding: create sustainable support systems.” The campaign underscores the importance of prioritising breastfeeding by building robust and sustainable support systems. A supportive environment for breastfeeding benefits families and significantly reduces the environmental impact associated with artificial feeding. The week aims to connect actors across all levels involved in breastfeeding support to create resilient and sustainable support systems.

Breastfeeding stands as the gold standard for infant nutrition, offering many benefits that extend far beyond basic sustenance. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for up to two years or beyond.

Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants, offering a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat: everything a baby needs for healthy growth. This natural food is provided in a form that’s more easily digested than infant formula.

One of the most significant advantages of breastfeeding is the transfer of antibodies from mother to child. These antibodies help infants fight off viruses and bacteria, providing a crucial boost to the developing immune system. This immunological support translates into tangible health benefits including a lower risk of respiratory tract infections, fewer ear infections, reduced incidence of diarrhea, and a decreased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

The benefits of breastfeeding extend well into childhood and even adulthood. Research has linked breastfeeding to lower risk of asthma and allergies, reduced likelihood of obesity in childhood and adulthood, decreased risk of type 1 diabetes, and potential improvements in cognitive development and IQ scores.

The impact of breastfeeding on global health cannot be overstated. Increased breastfeeding to near-universal levels in low and medium-income countries could prevent approximately 820,000 deaths of children under the age of five annually. This statistic alone underscores the critical role of breastfeeding in reducing infant mortality and improving global health outcomes.

While breastfeeding offers numerous benefits, it’s equally important to understand the potential consequences when infants are not breastfed or when breastfeeding rates are suboptimal. Infants who are not breastfed face higher risks of gastrointestinal infections, respiratory infections, otitis media (ear infections), necrotising enterocolitis, particularly in premature infants. These conditions can lead to increased hospitalisations and doctor visits, placing a burden on both families and healthcare systems.

The absence of breastfeeding can have lasting effects on an individual’s health. These include an increased risk of childhood obesity, a higher likelihood of developing type 1 diabetes, and the potential for lower IQ scores and reduced cognitive development.

On a broader scale, suboptimal breastfeeding practices have significant health and economic consequences. A study in the USA attributed 3,340 annual excess deaths to suboptimal breastfeeding, with 78% of these being maternal deaths due to myocardial infarction, breast cancer, and diabetes. Additionally, 721 excess pediatric deaths were attributed mainly to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and necrotising enterocolitis. The economic costs associated with not breastfeeding are substantial. In Australia alone, it’s estimated that costs related to not breastfeeding amount to 1.448 million Australian dollars per day.

While much focus is placed on infant health, breastfeeding also offers significant benefits to mothers. Mothers who breastfeed experience faster postpartum recovery: Breastfeeding releases oxytocin, which helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce postpartum bleeding. Breastfeeding burns extra calories, potentially aiding in postpartum weight loss. Breastfeeding is associated with lower risks of breast and ovarian cancers. Some studies suggest breastfeeding may lower the risk of osteoporosis. Breastfeeding is linked to a decreased risk of hypertension and improved cardiovascular health. Breastfeeding promotes bonding between mother and child through skin-to-skin contact and eye contact, fostering a sense of security and emotional connection.

Despite the clear benefits, many mothers face challenges in initiating and maintaining breastfeeding. World Breastfeeding Week aims to address these challenges by promoting education and support. Some of the common barriers to breastfeeding include a lack of knowledge about breastfeeding techniques and benefits, insufficient support from healthcare providers, workplace constraints, including lack of paid maternity leave and lactation rooms, cultural and societal pressures, and medical issues that may complicate breastfeeding.

World Breastfeeding Week emphasises the importance of a multi-faceted approach to supporting breastfeeding mothers. The week educates and informs families about the benefits of breastfeeding and proper techniques, trains healthcare practitioners to provide effective support to mothers and babies, encouraging peer groups and community initiatives to promote and sustain breastfeeding, advocates for breastfeeding-friendly workplaces, including adequate maternity leave and lactation facilities, and pushing for policies that protect and promote breastfeeding rights.

World Breastfeeding Week has become a powerful platform for raising awareness and driving change. It is celebrated in more than 170 countries, uniting governments, organisations, and communities in the common goal of supporting breastfeeding. The week serves as a catalyst for policy changes at national and international levels, increased funding for breastfeeding support programmes, greater public awareness of the importance of breastfeeding, improved training for healthcare professionals in breastfeeding support, and the development of breastfeeding-friendly initiatives in workplaces and communities.