World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is a global campaign to raise awareness and galvanise action on themes related to breastfeeding.
Every year from August 1 to 7, families, health workers, and communities around the world come together to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. In 2026, the theme is “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems” – a call to action to build lasting, equitable support for breastfeeding mothers everywhere. This week is more than a health campaign; it’s a global movement to invest in the future of children, families, and the planet.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ahead of World Breastfeeding Week said that too many mothers and families worldwide still lack access to the services, counselling and support needed to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. Strengthening health systems and community-based support is essential to ensure every child receives the benefits of breastfeeding from the earliest days of life.
Breastfeeding is among the most effective and affordable ways to protect children’s health. It provides essential nutrients, strengthens immunity, reduces the risk of serious childhood illnesses and contributes to healthy cognitive development. Mothers also benefit significantly from breastfeeding, including a reduced risk of certain noncommunicable diseases such as breast and ovarian cancers and type 2 diabetes.
Global breastfeeding practices are showing encouraging improvement. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months increased from about 37 per cent in 2012 to more than 47 per cent today. Over the past five years, breastfeeding among children up to two years of age has also increased from 38 per cent to 50 per cent. These improvements demonstrate that sustained investment in breastfeeding policies and programmes can deliver meaningful results. However, progress remains unequal. Many countries are still falling short of global targets, while access to breastfeeding support services remains limited. Policies are not always effectively implemented or enforced, and the quality of available services is often inadequate, particularly in low-income, fragile and humanitarian settings.