Breastfeeding is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children and one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in more than 170 countries from 1 to 7 August. This year, WHO and partners are calling for more support for breastfeeding mothers.
With the theme of "Breastfeeding support: closer to mothers", the celebration event for World Breastfeeding Week 2013 in China aims to improve public awareness, and call for society’s action to promote, protect and support breastfeeding.
At the celebration event on 2 August, jointly organized by China National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), WHO, UNICEF, and Beijing Health Bureau, Dr Marianna Trias, Senior Programme Management Officer at WHO Office in China highlighted WHO’s recommendations for feeding babies and key guidelines and policies on infant and young child feeding. NHFPC mentioned the benefits of breastfeeding to both mothers and babies, while UNICEF suggested media to pay more attention to breastfeeding promotion instead of negative reports on unsafe baby formula. Beijing Health Bureau shared experiences on Baby Friendly Hospital Initiatives and development of Baby Friendly Communities, and representatives of mothers and pregnant women reflected on their thoughts on breastfeeding. More than 40 representatives of media, previously trained by WHO and NHFPC on breastfeeding promotion, attended the event, in addition to more than 120 participants from different sectors.
Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need. It is safe and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding until a baby is six months old, and continued breastfeeding with the addition of nutritious complementary foods for up to two years or beyond. Besides the immediate benefits for children, breastfeeding also contributes to a lifelong good health. Adolescents and adults who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight, or develop type-2 diabetes. Exclusive breastfeeding also benefits mothers by inducing a natural method of birth control, decreasing risks of breast and ovarian cancer, helping women return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster and lowering rate of obesity.
WHO supports countries with implementation and monitoring of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, and Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. In May 2012, WHO’s Member States unanimously endorsed the Comprehensive Implementation Plan for Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition at the 65th World Health Assembly. The plan stipulates that by 2025, at least 50% of babies around the world should be exclusively breastfed. Increasing support for breastfeeding is therefore a public health imperative.
So far, only 37 out of 199 countries have passed laws reflecting all the recommendations of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. If every child was breastfed within an hour of birth, given only breast milk for their first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding up to the age of two, about 220,000 child lives would be saved every year.
"Breastfeeding is not only a natural act, but also a learned behaviour that needs the support of the society and peers. Many challenges still need to be overcome. WHO will continue efforts to protect, promote and support breastfeeding and improve mothers and babies’ health." Dr Trias concluded.
For more information, please contact
Helen Yu
Communications Officer, WHO in China
Tel: +86 10 65327191
E-mail: yuji@wpro.who.int