Mark your calendars for one of the globe’s greatest celebrations! Next week, we come together for the 29th Annual World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) (August 1-7) and everyone is invited. There are no unlikely guests at this party; protecting breastfeeding is a shared responsibility, in line with this year’s WBW theme.
The Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility theme is aligned with area 2 of the WBW-SDG 2030 campaign which highlights the links between breastfeeding and survival, health and wellbeing of families and nations.
Support at the individual level is a crucial part of this shared goal, but breastfeeding must be considered a public health issue that requires investment at all levels. The concept of ‘building back better’ after the COVID-19 pandemic will provide an opportunity to create a warm chain of support for breastfeeding that includes health systems, workplaces and communities at all levels of society. A warm chain of support will help build an enabling environment for breastfeeding and protect against industry influence, as explained here.
Organizations from locations all over the map have RSVPed to the celebration, answering the call to action by pledging their participation in WBW 2021. You can too through a simple process found here.
WBW’s Relevant Resources page includes articles and documents about breastfeeding as not only an investment in improving health and saving lives, but as an investment in human capital development. A Save the Children document details strategies to effectively influence political commitment to breastfeeding. Another piece identifies successful multicomponent public health strategies. Together, these resources offer ample evidence and motivation to continue pushing for change for healthy families, nations and a healthy planet.
The WBW 2021 Social Media Kit offers scheduled activities leading up to and during #WBW2021. Use these hashtags in your social media posts:
#WBW2021 #WABA #ProtectBreastfeeding #SharedResponsibility #breastfeeding #SDGs #worldbreastfeedingweek2021 #ProtectBreastfeedingaSharedResponsibility #protectbreastfeedingtogether #buildingbackbetter #warmchain4breastfeeding #breastfeeding4publichealth
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and its persisting challenges, it has never been more important to protect healthy infant feeding; there’s no better time than now to inform, anchor, engage and galvanize action to protect breastfeeding at all levels.
The movement continues beyond WBW and into the month of August for National Breastfeeding Month (NBM). This year’s theme: Every Step of the Way with weekly observances:
Week 1: World Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility
Week 2: Native Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Nourishing Our Futures
Week 3: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Week
- Theme: Reclaiming Our Tradition
Week 4: Black Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: The Big Pause: Collective Rest for Collective Power
In anticipation of NBM, you can Register for the launch event webinar for the “Continuity of Care in Breastfeeding Support: A Blueprint for Communities” on August 24, 1 p.m. ET.
You can celebrate in style during this vital, global initiative with Health Education Associates’ World Breastfeeding Week party pack. Get the swag here. The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is also offering Limited Edition NBM 2021 Designs at their store here.