World Breastfeeding Week which is celebrated annually from 1st August to 7th August in almost all the countries. The variety of events on breast feeding has been exhibited by many countries, organizations and participants worldwide.
Why it is celebrating
Breast feeding is organized and promoted worldwide by the WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action), WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) to get the goal of elite breastfeeding by mother for their baby of first six months in order to get the incredible health benefits, to fulfill the all vital nutrients, to encourage mother for the healthy growth and development of their child, to guard them from the lethal health problems and diseases including neonatal jaundice, pneumonia, cholera and many more.
It was first started and celebrated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in the year 1992. And later it is being celebrated in more than 120 countries by the UNICEF, WHO and their participants such as individuals, associations and governments. World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action was also established in the year 1991 at 14th of Feb to promote the comprehensive breastfeeding culture worldwide by providing the support and achieve the real goal.
The breast feeding has been emphasized to a great extent by the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for promoting the healthy living for both the mother and the baby. It is highly recommended by them to all mothers that they should give breastfeeding to their child for the first six months of the life and after that a supplemented breastfeeding can be given for the one, two or more years.
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action had assisted and supported the social mobilization for the global promotion of the campaign of breastfeeding. WHO and WABA had decided a day committed to the breastfeeding which has been marked as one of the important international events.
It is very necessary to the mothers to get timely support and healthcare education to their baby including breast feeding. The continuous support and intimation can bring the gradual and permanent changes in the social living and ultimately healthy and disease free social living. To sustain a continuous breast feeding can be traditionally supported by the family, community leaders, trained health workers, lactation consultants, friends and partners.
The strategy of peer counseling can be beneficial and exceedingly productive approach to distribute the message of breast feeding campaign to a larger number of other worldwide in a less time period. The trained person of the community can be a peer counselor which can support the mothers to combat their breastfeeding questions and issues.
Aims of the Breast Feeding Campaign
To make aware the peer group to support mothers in order to establish and carry on the breastfeeding.
To initiate the breastfeeding supporters to be trained to provide support to mothers and babies in more effective ways.
To make aware the people to attend and expand the Peer Counseling programmes by letting them know the effective and efficient benefits of the Peer Counseling.
To call on the governments to get more and worldwide maternity facilities in order to increase the rate and duration of elite breastfeeding.
To discover the contacts of the neighboring community support so that breastfeeding mothers can go them to get help and support after delivery.
There are five circles of support from which a mother should get assistance for breast feeding. A woman is surrounded by these circles of support which are Family and Social Network, Workplace and Employment, Government or Legislation, Healthcare and Response to Crisis or Emergency.
(Ref:webplus.info & http://www.indiacelebrating.com/events/world-breastfeeding-week/)