Key Messages:

August 1 through 7 is celebrated as World Breastfeeding Week each year to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies the world over.

It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need.

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old.

Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond.

This year the message is “Support mums to breastfeed anytime, anywhere”.

Useful Links:

Link to the World Breastfeeding Week page:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/world-breastfeeding-week/en/

Link to the Innocenti Declaration:

http://www.who.int/about/agenda/health_development/events/innocenti_declaration_1990.pdf?ua=1

Link to WHO publication “Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding”:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/42590/1/9241562218.pdf?ua=1

Link to WHO page on Exclusive Breastfeeding:

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeeding/en/

Link to Systematic Review on the optimal duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding:

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/67208/1/WHO_NHD_01.08.pdf?ua=1

Link to WHO page on Complementary feeding:

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/complementary_feeding/en/

Link to Systematic Review on Health Effects of Commercially available complementary foods:

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/CF_health_effects_commercially_systematicreview.pdf?ua=1

Link to Question-Answer: ‘Up to what age can a baby stay well nourished by just being breastfed?’

http://www.who.int/features/qa/21/en/

Links to posters for use during World Breastfeeding Week 2016:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/breastfeeding-2016-week-poster.jpg?ua=1

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/BreastfeedingWeek2016-shopping.jpg?ua=1

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/BreastfeedingWeek2016-restaurant.jpg?ua=1

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/BreastfeedingWeek2016-bus.jpg?ua=1

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/BreastfeedingWeek2016-town-square.jpg?ua=1

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/2016/BreastfeedingWeek2016-a-picnic.jpg?ua=1