World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) has been celebrated Annually, in the first week of August. In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy. Championed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ministries of Health and civil society partners around the globe, WBW serves to remind the public and policy-makers that breastfeeding lays the foundation for lifelong health and development.

This year, under the banner “Invest in breastfeeding, invest in the future”, the campaign casts a spotlight on the ongoing support that women and babies need from the health care system throughout their breastfeeding journey.

Every mother should have access to the support and information she needs to breastfeed for as long as she wishes to do so. Efforts are needed to ensure that health systems offer skilled and sustained support from pregnancy through to early childhood. Policies, laws and programmes should prioritize women, babies and breastfeeding, and communities must uphold every woman and baby’s right to breastfeed.