7 AUGUST 2018

World Breastfeeding Week marked in Azerbaijan

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in Azerbaijan within the framework of cooperation between United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Health.

For the purpose of encouraging and supporting of breastfeeding, educational materials prepared by PHRC have been distributed in "Asan service" centers from 1 to 7 August, 2018.

It commemorates the “Innocenti Declaration” signed in August 9, 1990 by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, government policymakers and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

An estimated 78 million babies – or three in five – are not breastfed within the first hour of life, putting them at higher risk of death and disease, say UNICEF and WHO in a new report (July 31, 2018).

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond.

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. It is considered a holy duty of a mother to breastfeed her own child.

Breastfeeding has significantly increased compared to previous years as a result of the purposeful cooperation between UNICEF and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

You can see the photos here. 

The full text of the news is available in Azerbaijani language.