World Breastfeeding Week observance from today

The World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated as a global campaign every year from August 1 to 7, to strengthen the efforts for improving the breastfeeding practices. This year World Breastfeeding week will be observed on the theme ‘Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all’, said MT Krishnababu, Special Chief Secretary of Health & Family welfare Department.
Krishnababu, along with Commissioner of Health & Family Welfare and NHMC Mission Director Harikiran, released Information Education and Communication (IEC) material developed by the Health Department for the campaign on Wednesday. Joint Director (Child Health & Immunisation) Dr Arjuna Rao and State consultants participated in the programme.
On the occasion, the Special CS said that Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated in the State at facility and community level involving caregivers, mothers and family members. “During the campaign, promotional activities will be conducted to create awareness on early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, the introduction of nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods at six months together with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond to offer a powerful line of defence against infection and malnutrition and boosters brain development in a child,” he said.
The observance will be inaugurated in the State by Minister of Health & Family Welfare Satyakumar Yadav in UPHC Sai Nagar, Dharmavaram, in Sri Sathya Sai district. The programme will also be launched simultaneously in all districts in the presence of district collectors and DM&HOs.