World Breastfeeding Week 2017

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) runs from 1st–7th August each year. It was originally set up by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to promote a global strategy of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. Now in its 25^th year, what began as an international day to encourage breastfeeding has been extended to a full week and is observed in more than 120 countries.

The importance of breastfeeding a baby during its first few months of life has never been more clear-cut. Not only does breastfeeding provide all the nourishment required for an infant to thrive, but it provides a form of immunity which can stave off infections such as diarrhoea and pneumonia – 2 major causes of infant mortality. Evidence shows that breastfeeding has cognitive advantages too:  breastfed babies reach higher educational attainment. Furthermore, the health benefits extend to mothers as well. There is an established link which shows that women who have breastfed carry a reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer or breast cancer.

WBW is endorsed by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the World Health Organization (WHO), who report that alarmingly, currently no country in the world fully meets the recommended standards for breastfeeding. A survey of 194 countries to compile a Global Breastfeeding Scorecard revealed that just 40% of children under 6 months are fed solely breastmilk and only 23 countries report breastfeeding rates above 60%. This has prompted the creation of the Global Breastfeeding Collective to raise awareness and lead a mission to increase global breastfeeding rates to at least 50% in children under 6 months of age.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week carries a focus on breastfeeding in relation to sustainability. Breastfeeding can directly impact the achievement of many of the global Sustainable Development Goals. The long-term gains are set out as follows: breastfeeding results in improved child nutrition and cuts risk of contracting deadly diseases which in turn can lead to fewer infant deaths; elevated levels of education may support an escape from poverty and allow for longer life expectancy; reduced health care costs coupled with a likely increase in productivity would offer substantial economic rewards. However, the crisis upon us is this: even among developed countries, there are serious shortfalls in the funding available to promote and assist breastfeeding globally. Yet, projections estimate that a modest annual expenditure of US$4.70 per new-born baby to raise breastfeeding rates to 50% could generate US$300 billion by 2025.

With the current status quo, mothers and their babies are being failed by the lack of commitment to investment in breastfeeding. On a wider scale, the repercussions are such that society as a whole will inevitably suffer.

For more information visit the WABA and World Breastfeeding Week websites.

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