World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is annually held from 1 to 7 August.
It aims to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life which has huge health benefits.
It is jointly organized by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF.
It was first celebrated in 1992 and is now annually observed in more than 100 countries.
The Food and Nutrition Board, Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing a number of activities on the theme “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding” during the WBW.
Breastfeeding is important because
It prevents infections like diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections in early infancy and thus reduces infant mortality
It decreases the risk of mothers developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease