World Breastfeeding Week, being observed every year from 1 to 7 August, is a reminder to renew our efforts to promote breastfeeding around the globe and is celebrated in more than 170 countries. Each year the event comes with a theme presenting the focus for that year and theme for the 23rd World Breastfeeding week (WBW) is “Breastfeeding and work, Let’s make it work!
Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends mothers worldwide to exclusively breastfeed infants for the first six months to achieve optimal growth and development. To meet their evolving nutritional requirements, children should be given nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age.
The World Health Organization congratulates Bangladesh for adopting measures that protect, promote and support breastfeeding, a universal right for every infant and mother including protection and relief for lactating mothers and creating more enabling environment at the workplace. We commend Government of Bangladesh for revising the Breast Milk Substitute Ordinance and promulgating "Breast Milk Substitutes Act 2013" which included amendments on complete restriction/ban on advertisement of breast milk substitutes, baby foods and children’s food supplements and its equivalent.
In Bangladesh, World Breastfeeding Week has been observed by Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF) in collaboration with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) since 1992. WHO assures its continued support to uphold the right of every mother to breastfeed and of every child to be breastfed.
I wish a successful World Breastfeeding Week -2015.