Breastfeeding for a sustainable future

Chennai

Organised by  World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), WBW came up with the goal to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life which yields tremendous health benefits, providing critical nutrients, protection from deadly diseases such as pneumonia and fostering growth and development, for the first time in 1991.

This year’s WBW theme is ‘Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development’. 2016 commemorates the start of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The new WBW logo depicts a ‘triad’ of two adults and an infant, which reinforces the importance of support. The proportions and forms between the two adults, have been equalised to symbolise equality, equity and the collaborative act of nurturing. The new WBW design shows an affinity with the SDG campaign, but places the infant and carers at the centre.

Breastfeeding is a cost-effective, life-saving intervention for premature children with low birth weight or those who have an infection. The Lancet Series on Breastfeeding, 2016, reported that breastfeeding alone can prevent 13 per cent of under-five deaths in developing countries each year. In India, however, breastfeeding rates continue to be dismal. National Family Health Survey III data suggests that rates of early initiation, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding stand at 24.3 percent, 46.9 percent and 64.3 percent, implying a need for effective rollout of various government initiatives in this direction.