Prioritize Breastfeeding: Develop Sustainable Support Mechanisms
Every year, during August 1–7, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) emphasizes the importance of breastfeeding and the need for universal support mechanisms for mothers all over the world. The 2025 theme — “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Develop Sustainable Support Mechanisms” — emphasizes joint efforts among healthcare, workplaces, communities, and policy to facilitate mothers in initiating and maintaining successful breastfeeding.
Why Breastfeeding Matters
Breastfeeding is the gold standard of infant nutrition: It gives full nutrition, enhances immune development, and averts life-threatening illness like pneumonia and diarrhea. It also has been linked with better maternal health outcomes: reduced risks of breast and ovarian cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
In emergency situations, breast milk is the safest and most dependable food even when sanitation and supplies are greatly affected.
The Global Gap
While proven to have a positive effect on child and mother, merely 48% of infants six months or younger are exclusively breastfed worldwide, falling short of the WHO’s 2030 goal of 60%. Obstacles include insufficient skilled health workers, poor workplace policies, aggressive promotion of formula, and social disapproval.
Building Stronger Support Systems
In order to close this gap, public health experts recommend:
•Health system investment: Integration of skilled breastfeeding counselling into all maternal and child health services.
•Workplace protections: Instituting paid maternity and paternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and milk expression space.
•Policy enforcement: Sustaining the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes to limit aggressive marketing.
•Community networks: Expanding peer‑to‑peer counselling and mother support groups to offer practical support and encouragement.
Real‑World Examples
• A Lucknow, India donor milk bank recently provided critical nutrition to a premature baby until the mother could breastfeed — a life-or-death act of kindness for fragile babies.
• In Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, a public breastfeeding area was launched to support working mothers and decriminalize public breastfeeding.
• Advocacy groups persist in calling for respectful, non-judgmental support for mothers, recognizing guilt and stigma still being common when breastfeeding is challenging or impossible.
Looking Ahead
Evidence-based breastfeeding support requires collaboration among governments, health professionals, employers, and communities. Investment in such systems benefits countries by saving children’s lives, enhancing maternal health, and saving healthcare expenses in the long run.
World Breastfeeding Week 2025 reminds us all that supporting mothers is not a matter of personal choice but a public health priority.
