The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is an independent, nonprofit organization made up of more than 130 organizations. Non-governmental organizations, local community organizations, and various health professional associations come together under the USBC to work collaboratively and drive efforts for policy improvements in the landscape of breastfeeding support in the U.S.
In 2011, the USBC declared August as National Breastfeeding Month as a way to bring attention to the “wins and losses” within the national lactation landscape. Throughout the month, opportunities for conversation and further learning are often offered by various organizations across the country. As years have passed, weekly observances began during the month to highlight specific populations and the work they are doing in the field.
This year, the following weekly observances are taking place:
*World Breastfeeding Week: August 1-7, 2024
*National WIC Breastfeeding Week: August 1-7, 2024
*Indigenous Milk Medicine Week: August 8-14, 2024
*Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week: August 15-21, 2024
*Black Breastfeeding Week: August 25-31, 2024
*Semana de La Lactancia Latina: September 3-9, 2024
A statement by Catherine Russell (UNICEF Executive Director) and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (WHO Director-General) released on July 31, 2024 highlights the need to equal access to breastfeeding support ahead of National Breastfeeding Month. The statement highlights the various roles that families, communities and policy-makers play in increasing access to breastfeeding support for everyone.
“When breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed their infants. This is a shared responsibility…[We] all play a central role by:
Increasing investment in programs and policies that protect and support breastfeeding through dedicated national budgets; implementing and monitoring family friendly workplace policies…; ensuring mothers who are at-risk in emergencies and under-represented communities receive protection and support in line with their unique needs…; improving monitoring of breastfeeding programs and policies…; developing and enforcing laws restricting the marketing of breast-milk substitutes, including digital marketing practices…”
IN.F.ACT. USA is proud to be working hard on potential policy developments here in the U.S. to monitor and restrict the marketing of breastmilk-substitutes, particularly with regard to predatory digital marketing practices of infant formula companies.
For more information about National Breastfeeding Month and the weekly observances, please visit: https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/national-breastfeeding-month.html