The annual event will celebrate ten years since UNICEF and WHO policy makers launched its global strategy to protect, support and promote infant and young child feeding.
This year will also mark the 20th anniversary of WBW. Since the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) first launched the WBW in 1992, thousands of women in over 170 countries have taken part in the annual celebrations.
WABA said that 2012’s World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from 1-8 August, will focus on evaluating their progress over the last two decades. According to its website, WABA plans to ‘celebrate but also to look back’ during the week.
Other objectives for WBW this year is to assess the status of implementation of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding and to draw attention to the gas in policy.
Pledges can be made in support of the cause at the World Breastfeeding Week website.
Support for WABA’s annual celebrations has already begun. Earlier this month two US servicewomen from the Washington National Guard caused a row after posing for pictures of themselves breastfeeding in uniform.
The pictures were posted by support group Mom2Mom who defended their actions writing on its Facebook page: ‘Our mission is to help raise awareness, educate and support breast-feeding mothers.’
