World Breastfeeding Week is held every year during the first week of August.
This event is supported by Unicef and the World Health Organization. Its objective is to raise public awareness of the problem of newborn breastfeeding and to encourage future mothers to breastfeed their babies. This week is celebrated from August 1 to 7 in more than 170 countries.
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival, yet currently less than half of infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed.
According to the Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Nomenyo Akpédjé, Togolese mothers are making enough effort and are to be congratulated. However, she encourages them to support the effort to exclusively breastfeed newborns up to 6 months.
Community actors are also called upon to help breastfeeding women to succeed in this mission. “I invite communities to do their part, single mothers cannot support this effort because it is quite heavy,” urged Nomenyo Akpédjé.
In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed World Breastfeeding Week as an important health promotion strategy.
Rachel Doubidji