THEME: Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is celebrated annually every every 1-7 August. It started in 1992, supported by WHO, UNICEF, and various Ministries of Health and civil society partners. Since 2016, WBW has been aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.

Breastfeeding is a life-saving intervention for both the mother and newborn and must be initiated within the first golden hour after birth. The theme for WBW 2024, “Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All,” aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10, stressing the significance of promoting breastfeeding for the survival, health, and well-being of children, mothers, and communities in both short and long term. This year’s focus emphasises the critical need to increase investments in supporting breastfeeding among the most vulnerable mothers in society.