A global people's movement of ONE MILLION PEOPLE for ONE ACTION - to support women to fulfill their right and their children's right to breastfeeding.

Over 10 million of the world's children die every year before they reach their first birthday. That is, over 27,000 per day, or over 1100 per hour. Of these, over a third – more than 450 – are less than a month old.

Most of these deaths are linked to malnutrition. 15% of infants are born with low birth weight, which is a result of inadequate maternal nutrition. Malnutrition in infants is linked to incorrect and inadequate feeding practices rather than to hunger. Good infant feeding practices include initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and introducing healthy nourishing foods while continuing to breastfeed thereafter. Baby food companies destroy women’s confidence in their ability to breastfeed their babies

Growing evidence points out how vital it is that an infant starts breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, breastfeeds exclusively for six months, and continues to breastfeed for two years or more, with adequate and appropriate complementary foods being introduced after the sixth month. Initiation breastfeeding within the first hour reduces the risk of neonatal mortality by six times. Exclusive breastfeeding can prevent up to 15% of under-5 deaths, and appropriate complementary feeding practices after 6 month onwards can reduce these deaths by another 6%.

Correct and appropriate breastfeeding

• Saves children's lives
• Prevents killer diseases during childhood
• Improves IQ levels of children, as well as makes them more emotionally secure
• strengthens family bonds
• Protects children against high blood pressure, cardiac problems and Type II diabetes in adulthood
• Prevents obesity in childhood and adulthood
• Helps women's body get back into shape after giving birth
• Reduces women's chances of getting breast cancer

Unfortunately, not even half the women of the world can carry out adequate breastfeeding. 135 Million, babies are born every year. Women can initiate timely breastfeeding for less than half – 64 million - of these babies because they lack support from the family, from the health staff. Even fewer women – 48 million (36%) - can exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months, again because of lack of support from the health services, the work place and the family

Most people think of breastfeeding as something that happens between the woman and her child: that this decision is in the personal domain. However, several factors affect women's ability to breastfeed successfully: traditions, myths, status in the family and society, work load, confidence in her body and sexuality, economic needs, labour laws, domestic and workplace violence and harassment,availability of support services, advertising by commercial baby food manufacturers, and so on.

The World Breastfeeding Movement– ONE MILLION CAMPAIGN brings together people of all ages from all walks of life to generate the support women need to breastfeed successfully. Through participating in the Movement's campaigns, petitions to local, national and international policy makers, discussions groups, evidence-based nformation sharing, and actions at every level, you can focus national and global attention on the several challenges to successful breastfeeding and help to resolve them.