World Breastfeeding Week is observed from August 1 through 7, with the goal of raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and its many benefits. Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for infants, strengthens their immune systems, reduces the risk of disease, and promotes healthy development. It also offers significant health benefits for mothers.
Protecting Breastfeeding from the Growing Influence of Digital Marketing
To mark World Breastfeeding Week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) calls on countries in the Americas to strengthen protections for families against the growing digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes and other products that may interfere with breastfeeding.
Although breastfeeding remains one of the most effective interventions for protecting the health and development of children, the environment in which families make decisions about infant feeding has changed profoundly. Targeted advertising on social media, the use of influencers, algorithms, and artificial intelligence are creating new challenges in ensuring that mothers, fathers, and caregivers receive objective, evidence-based information.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, only 43% of infants are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of life—a figure well below the global target of 60% set for 2030. According to PAHO, this gap stems from multiple factors, including an increasingly sophisticated digital environment that can influence infant feeding decisions.
PAHO warns that many of these strategies operate in ways that are not readily apparent to users. Companies are increasingly using digital tools to target specific content at pregnant women, new mothers, and other caregivers through social media promotions, influencer recommendations, and advertising integrated into digital platforms.
“Breastfeeding is much more than an individual choice. It is one of the most effective ways to ensure that children have the best possible start in life,” said Vanessa García Larsen, Chief of PAHO’s Risk Factors Unit. “In the digital age, protecting breastfeeding also means protecting families from commercial practices that may influence their decisions.”
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981 to protect breastfeeding and ensure that decisions about infant feeding are not influenced by inappropriate commercial practices. More recently, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution expanding the Code’s provisions to better address digital marketing, such as social media, content creators, influencers, and other digital platforms.
Experts agree that the response requires updating laws to include digital marketing, strengthening monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, using new technologies to detect violations, and increasing regional cooperation to address cross-border advertising. They also highlight the need to protect personal data and increase transparency regarding targeted advertising.
PAHO also emphasizes that protection against the marketing of breast-milk substitutes must be complemented by breastfeeding support services, counseling for families, and policies that enable women to breastfeed for the recommended duration. These measures are among the most effective interventions for promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding.
Achieving a Sustainable Start in Life
The theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2026 is “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.”
Breastfeeding is a shared social responsibility, not an individual burden. Every mother deserves the conditions that enable her to breastfeed—from strong maternity protections to specialized counseling—that make her decision to breastfeed possible. When systems are designed to support her, breastfeeding becomes the foundation for a child to have the best start in life.
