Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies and protects them against illness. Disruption of breastfeeding can lead to a decrease in protective immune factors contained in breastmilk so that the next generations could be more vulnerable to future pandemics.

August marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness for breastfeeding around the world. Founded by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), it works to support, empower, and encourage individuals in their breastfeeding journeys.

World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992 and is now observed in over 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO, and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments.

World Breastfeeding Week 2023 is from Tuesday 1st August – Monday 7th August 2023. The theme set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) for this year is: “Enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents.”

Breastfeeding Week in Iran

The World Breastfeeding Week is also celebrated in Iran. The days of the week have been named as:

August 1: Working mothers and breastfeeding; August 2: The law supports breastfeeding; August 3: Breastfeeding and the supportive role of fathers; August 4: The view of Islam toward breastfeeding; August 5: Breastfeeding and a healthy future; August 6: Media and breastfeeding; August 7: The work environment in support of breastfeeding

Iran first in West Asia

Iran ranks first in West Asia for breastfeeding immature newborn infants, as 11 breast milk banks have been established in the country, the head of the mother’s milk bank of Al-Zahra Hospital in the northwestern city of Tabriz said in August 2020.

Breast milk donation is as important as blood donation due to saving the lives of so many premature babies in hospitals whose best nutrition is breast milk, Mohammad-Baqer Hosseini said.

In July 2016, the first breast milk bank was established in Al-Zahra Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, with the financial support of the Ministry of Health.

Since then, 10 breast milk banks have been set up in the country, two of which are located in Tehran, and others in Mashhad, Zahedan, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Kerman, Tabriz, and Yazd are active and one is being launched in Isfahan.

Recalling that breast milk banks are widely active all over the world, Hosseini said that milk banks have been active in European countries for nearly 100 years.

Worldwide, about 600 breast milk banks have been established, with the first established in Austria, he noted, adding that there are currently 210 breast milk banks in Europe and Brazil alone has 210 milk banks.

Human milk is pasteurized so that there is no risk of transmitting infectious diseases, even in the case of AIDS or any other diseases, he said.

Robin Nandy, the representative of UNICEF in Iran, has said that granting 9 months of maternity leave to mothers in Iran is admirable, praising the country for promoting breastfeeding.

Nandy made the remarks at the ceremony of "World Breastfeeding Week" at Razi International Conference Hall held on Monday.

During the coronavirus pandemic, breastfeeding infants has ensured food security, improved nutrition in communities, and reduced inequalities, he highlighted.

Pointing out that every dollar invested in breastfeeding has a return of $35, he noted that in addition to preventing many diseases in children and mothers, breast milk is one of the smartest investments to improve human capital and accelerate economic growth in societies.

Stating that only 44 percent of babies in the world are exclusively breastfed in the first 6 months of life, he said that breastmilk acts like a child’s first vaccine.

Breastfeeding rates in societies with deep gaps between income groups are lower, he further stated.

Appreciating Iran for promoting breast milk, he said that it is necessary to implement family-oriented policies in countries with at least 18 weeks of leave after childbirth to promote and strengthen breastfeeding.

Iran's decision for granting 9 months of maternity leave to mothers is admirable and UNICEF supports these policies, he highlighted.

Objectives and goals

World Breastfeeding Week will focus on breastfeeding and employment/work. It will showcase the impact of paid leave, workplace support, and emerging parenting norms on breastfeeding through the lens of parents themselves.

Target audiences including governments, policymakers, workplaces, communities, and parents will be engaged to play their critical roles in empowering families and sustaining breastfeeding-friendly environments in the post-pandemic work life.

This year’s theme is important because workplace challenges remain the most common reason for women to never breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended.

Parents need adequate time and support to breastfeed. Parents with less than 3 months of maternity leave reported shorter breastfeeding duration than those with 3 or more months of leave.

A workplace needs adequate breastfeeding facilities to become a breastfeeding-friendly workplace. Only 42 countries mandate workplace breastfeeding facilities.

Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding addresses inequalities that stand in the way of sustainable development.

The COVID-19 pandemic drew special attention to strengthening the immune system, which basically comes from childhood nutrition.

The pandemic has adversely affected childbearing women by increasing the risk of unemployment and livelihood loss, and by disrupting access to prenatal, postnatal, and further breastfeeding support and services in the healthcare system.

Breastfeeding, a unique process

Breastfeeding provides ideal nutrition for infants and contributes to their healthy growth and development while reducing the incidence and severity of infectious diseases, thereby lowering infant morbidity and mortality, and contributing to women's health by reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and by increasing the spacing between pregnancies. It also provides social and economic benefits to the family and the nation and provides most women with a sense of satisfaction when successfully carried out.

Recent research has found that these benefits increase with increased exclusiveness of breastfeeding during the first six months of life, and thereafter with increased duration of breastfeeding with complementary foods, and program intervention can result in positive changes in breastfeeding behavior.

Improving breastfeeding practices could save the lives of more than 800,000 children under 5 every year, the vast majority of whom are under six months of age.

Beyond survival, there is growing evidence that breastfeeding boosts children’s brain development and provides protection against overweight and obesity.

Mothers also reap important health benefits from breastfeeding, including a lower risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

The life-saving protection of breastfeeding is particularly important in humanitarian settings, where access to clean water, adequate sanitation, and basic services is often limited.

Only about two in five children (42 percent), the majority born in low- and middle-income countries, were breastfed within the first hour of life. While this is a slight improvement from 37 percent in 2005, progress is slow.

Attainment of this goal requires, in many countries, the reinforcement of a “breastfeeding culture” and its vigorous defense against incursions of a “bottle-feeding culture”. This requires commitment and advocacy for social mobilization, utilizing to the full the prestige and authority of acknowledged leaders of society in all walks of life.