In 1990, a large group of Global stakeholders gathered in Florence, Italy to create the 1990-Innocenti-Declaration.pdf (worldbreastfeedingweek.org). This declaration was designed to protect, promote and support breastfeeding around the world. One year later, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) celebrated the first World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) in the United States.
This global observance has been growing every year since. With the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), women all over the world make this week a celebratory one: a week of pride and empowerment; a week to bathe in their accomplishments and successes, whether they breastfed for one week, one month or three years. It’s a community bonding event with one mission, one heart and one outcome; to create a world of healthy children that are fed maternal milk and passing on health equity to the next generation.
Today, individuals and groups in 120-plus countries are gearing up to plan, implement and execute WBW events the week of August 1–7, 2024. From Indonesia to Alaska, breastfeeding advocates in governments, health professionals in urban and rural communities and families in their own homes continue the tradition and legacy of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. For the health of children, the and the recognition of one of the most selfless acts a person can give, breastfeeding nurtures other human beings for life!
Check out the WBW website to learn more or to check out events around the world.
For more information about the lifelong benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and child see links below.
The Benefits of Breast Feeding – PubMed (nih.gov)
Breastfeeding Benefits Both Baby and Mom | Breastfeeding | CDC
