Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week

The overarching goal of the week is to highlight the importance of breastfeeding, to encourage and promote breastfeeding and to improve the health of babies and mothers all around the globe.

World Breastfeeding Week aims to highlight the huge benefits that breastfeeding can bring to the health and welfare of babies and benefits to maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction, and food security. World breastfeeding week has the dual goal of improving the health of babies and promoting, protecting, and supporting the rights of women to breastfeed anywhere and at any time.

Increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels could save more than 700,000 lives every year, the majority being children under six months.

Breastfeeding promotes better health for mothers and children alike. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of mothers developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It is estimated that increased breastfeeding could avert 20,000 maternal deaths each year due to breast cancer. Furthermore, costs associated with NOT breastfeeding amount to 1.448 million Australian dollars a day!

Word Breastfeeding Week is organised every year by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network that aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding around the world. WABA collaborates with the World Health Organization and UNICEF to make sure that aid is given to the right people, in the right communities.

Aims of World Breastfeeding Week

To support mothers through peer groups to promote, establish, and carry on breastfeeding by informing families of the benefits of Peer Counseling.
To educate and train health care practitioners to provide support to mothers and babies in effective ways.
Call governments to action to recognise the importance of the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and provide legislation to support a breastfeeding mother.
To deepen knowledge within the community to enhance, promote, and protect breastfeeding.

How can Medela help?

At Medela, we exist to enhance mother and baby health through the life-giving benefits of human milk. It is our mission to be the world's leading advocate and partner for mother's milk.

Medela engages and supports the community by fostering close partnerships with services that support and promote breastfeeding. Medela is proud to support Lifes Little Treasures, Australia's foremost charity dedicated to providing support, friendship, and information that is specifically tailored for families of premature or sick babies. Medela also supports St Kilda Mums, where their goal is to make sure children and families are happy, healthy and safe.

Research is in our DNA, and Medela is renowned for excellence in evidence-based research. For more than 50 years, Medela has helped to enhance mother and baby health through the life-giving benefits of breast milk and supports mothers during their breastfeeding journey. Medela works with experienced medical professionals and fosters collaborations with universities, hospitals, and research institutions worldwide.