The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) first organized this observance in 1992 to commemorate the 1990 Innocenti Declaration, which called on governments worldwide to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. Since then, the week has been marked annually in more than 120 countries in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, ministries of health and civil society groups. In 2018, the World Health Assembly formally endorsed the week as an important public health promotion strategy. The observance matters because breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to protect infant health, providing optimal nutrition in a baby's first months of life and reducing the risk of infections and malnutrition, while also offering health benefits to mothers. Despite this well-documented evidence, a large share of infants worldwide still do not receive the recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding. The week is marked through awareness campaigns in hospitals and health centers, media outreach, training workshops for mothers and caregivers, and initiatives to build breastfeeding-friendly workplaces and communities.