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World Breastfeeding Week 2022: Step up for Breastfeeding

 

1-7 AUGUST 2022

This year, the theme for World Breastfeeding Week (WBW 2022) is Step up for Breastfeeding - Educate and Support. Since 2016, WBW has been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.

 

Person with light bulb inside head

Inform

people about their role in strengthening the warm chain of support for breastfeeding

Anchor

Anchor

breastfeeding as part of good nutrition, food security and reduction of inequalities 

Dialogue

Engage

with individuals and organizations along the warm chain of support for breastfeeding

Lightning

Galvanize

action on strengthening capacity of actors and systems for transformational change

 

STEP UP FOR BREASTFEEDING - EDUCATE AND SUPPORT

 

The COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts have widened and deepened inequalities, tipping more people into food insecurity. Breastmilk is perfectly designed for a child’s nutritional and immunological needs and helps to prevent infections. Breastfeeding promotes bonding between mother and child, regardless of the setting, and provides food security to infants from the very beginning of life contributing to food security for the whole family.

 

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK 2022

Supporting breastfeeding involves many actors and levels. Women, caregivers and families need support from the health service, workplace and community to optimally breastfeed, progressing from one level to the other. For WBW 2022, PAHO will focus on stepping up this capacity. Education and transformation of existing systems, underpinned by evidence-based policies and recommendations, will help to ensure breastfeeding-friendly health facilities, supportive communities and workplaces, and will restore and improve breastfeeding rates, nutrition and health in both the short- and long-term.

 

EVENTS AND WEBINARS

Step up for breastfeeding. Educate and Support

Date: Thursday, 4 August, 2022

more information

 

 

 

Joint statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week

As global crises continue to threaten the health and nutrition of millions of babies and children, the vital importance of breastfeeding as the best possible start in life is more critical than ever. This World Breastfeeding Week, under its theme Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and Support, UNICEF and WHO are calling on governments to allocate increased resources to protect, promote and support breastfeeding policies and programmes, especially for the most vulnerable families living in emergency settings.

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 You See, They See:
Formula milk marketing and infant feeding

 #EndExploitativeMarketing

 

BREASTFEEDING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

PAHO/WHO continues to recommend that standard infant feeding guidelines be adhered to during the COVID-19 pandemic. The standard infant feeding guidelines are:

  • Initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth,
  • Exclusive breastfeeding until babies are six months old, and
  • Continued breastfeeding along with nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, until age two years old or beyond.

The benefits of breastfeeding and nurturing mother-infant interaction to prevent infection and promote health and development are especially important when health and other community services are themselves disrupted or limited

Mothers and infants should be supported to remain together, and practice skin-to-skin contact and/or kangaroo care whether or not they or their infants have suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19 virus infection. Breastfeeding counseling, basic psychosocial support, and practical feeding support should be provided to all pregnant women and mothers with infants and young children.

 

 

 

More information