#CreateSustainableSupportSystems - Celebrating World Breastfeeding 2025
World Breastfeeding 2025 celebration at HPH was a hit!
Peer Counselor Dezzy Mojica organized an engaging event at Highland Park to celebrate World Breastfeeding in August 2025. Dezzy shared, "To set the tone, I arranged a table filled with goodies, treats, and helpful breastfeeding handouts. It quickly became a gathering spot where parents, nurses, and hospital staff could stop by, chat, and share experiences. The table wasn’t just about snacks; it was about connection, encouragement, and community."
One of the highlights of the day was seeing patients from the FEEDS Study come by to visit. Dezzy reflected, "Their participation and engagement added a special layer to the event, reminding us how research, education, and real-life experiences all come together to support healthier outcomes for moms and babies." We also had participants who had just given birth stop by, with one participant sending their husband out to explore the table on their behalf!
"It was a simple yet meaningful way to honor Breastfeeding Week, celebrating not only the act of breastfeeding but the incredible strength, dedication, and support it requires," Dezzy added.
History
How did World Breastfeeding come about? The first World Breastfeeding celebration took place in 1992, following the Innocenti Declaration of 1990. This declaration was a set of policies drafted by more than 30 representatives from various countries at a meeting in Florence, Italy. They came together in response to declining breastfeeding rates in the mid-1980s and the growing evidence of breastfeeding’s benefits for both mothers and babies. The goals of the declaration were clear and straightforward: the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding. The Declaration states:
“All women deserve protection, support and reinforcing information from many sources to help ensure that they can feed their infants optimally – not only those with an identified problem. Trained breastfeeding counsellors are an important means of support for breastfeeding mothers.”
- UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2006
Following the Innocenti Declaration, countless organizations and health agencies came together, not only to uphold the goals of the declaration, but also to create the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). This organization was established in 1991 to act on the principles of the Innocenti Declaration, leading various initiatives to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding, one of which is World Breastfeeding Week!
More Than Just a Week—A Year-Round Commitment
Since 1992 hospitals, health ministries, and organizations have held events to promote breastfeeding and support families. Each year, WABA also introduces a theme that highlights a specific focus, such as healthcare systems or challenges in the workplace. This year’s theme was Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems, emphasizing the need for long-term, accessible, community-based support that helps make breastfeeding a sustainable choice for all.
Following this year’s theme, FEEDS celebrated World Breastfeeding as a time to honor and reinforce the importance of breastfeeding, and the support of breastfeeding peer counselors, to help families thrive. Events like the one organized by Dezzy at Highland Park Hospital remind us of the power of community, connection, and shared knowledge. As we reflect on the global impact of this week, we are reminded that creating sustainable support systems for breastfeeding is not just a celebration—it is a movement that requires ongoing attention and action year-round.
Sources
International Child Development Centre. Celebrating the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding: Past Achievements, Present Challenges and Priority Actions for Infant and Young Child Feeding. UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2006. celebrating_2nded.pdf.
World Breastfeeding Week. World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, worldbreastfeedingweek.org. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.