Global breastfeeding rates are declining across the world and reports suggests that aggressive marketing plans used by corporate houses to formula milk is also largely responsible for this decline. This is closely followed by lack of support to women in the family and at workplaces and inadequate healthcare support as reasons behind low breastfeeding rate.

Despite increase in institutional deliveries, the number of children in India being breastfed in the first hour of birth is less than half. India in fact ranks lowest among South Asian countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in breastfeeding practices, with only 44% women being able to breastfeed their babies within one hour of delivery.

Breastfeeding is the best way to give newborns the nutrients they need. Breast milk is highly nutritious with easy-to-digest proteins and natural immunities that protect babies against disease and infection. Colostrum, the milk that mothers produce in the first days after birth, is not only dense in nutrients, but is also rich in antibodies that protect babies from bacteria and viruses that cause infection.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed in 1991 to act on the Innocenti Declaration (1990) to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. As part of its action plan to facilitate and strengthen social mobilisation for breastfeeding, WABA envisioned a global unifying breastfeeding promotion strategy. A day dedicated to breastfeeding was suggested to be marked in the calendar of international events. The idea of a day's celebration was later turned into a week.
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is an annual celebration which is being held every year from August 1 to 7 in more than 120 countries.
World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is now observed in over 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments. WABA itself have been formed in 14 February 1991 with the goal to re-establish a global breastfeeding culture and provide support for breastfeeding everywhere.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasize the value of breastfeeding for mothers as well as children. Both recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and then supplemented breastfeeding for at least one year and up to two years or more.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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