KUCHING: The World Breastfeeding Week is an annual event observed from Aug 1 to 7.
It was established by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) to promote and raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for infants and mothers worldwide.
The event aims to support, protect, and encourage breastfeeding as a vital public health strategy that can improve the wellbeing of both babies and their mothers.
During World Breastfeeding Week, various organisations, healthcare providers, governments, and individuals would come together to organise events, campaigns, workshops, and seminars to spread knowledge and information about the benefits of breastfeeding.
The week also serves as an opportunity to address the challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers and advocate for policies and programmes that support breastfeeding in different communities.
Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for infants as breast milk provides essential nutrients, antibodies, and protection against diseases.
It is recommended by major health organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and continue breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years or beyond.
World Breastfeeding Week plays a crucial role in advancing global efforts to encourage breastfeeding practices and improve child and maternal health outcomes.
It also helps raise awareness about the importance of creating breastfeeding-friendly environments in homes, workplaces, and public spaces to facilitate and support breastfeeding mothers.
