World Breastfeeding Week, 2022

 “A newborn has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.”-Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

For the first 6 months, breastmilk is the only food a baby needs. It gives the baby a healthy start in life. It is always fresh, clean and changes over time to suit the baby's changing needs. Breastmilk is essential in protecting the baby from various illnesses and allergies.

To mark the importance of breastfeeding and create awareness for the benefits that breastfeeding can bring to the health of babies as well as to mothers, World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992 by WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action) and is now observed from 1-7  August every year in over 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments. It reminisces the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to support, secure and encourage  breastfeeding. The important thing is that since 2016, World Breastfeeding Week is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). World Breastfeeding Week has also been endorsed  as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy by a World Health Assembly resolution in 2018.

This year, in 2022,   World Breastfeeding Week is being observed on the theme 'Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.'