World Breastfeeding Week: Why we must support nursing mothers more than ever

The first week of August each year is globally recognised as World Breastfeeding Week—a time when health practitioners, caregivers, and everyone in the health and clinical fields come together to raise awareness, support lactating mothers, and, most importantly, promote breastfeeding as a foundation for lifelong health and well-being.

This year’s theme, “Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems”, calls for renewed efforts to highlight the barriers that make breastfeeding difficult. According to a report by the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, bottle-feeding has risen sharply—up by 12 percentage points, from 22% in 2022 to 34% in 2025. This means that around three in ten mothers in Kenya are now opting for bottle-feeding over natural breastfeeding. This is a worrying trend, and something must be done about it.

For years, the stigma around breastfeeding mothers has been the elephant in the room. The discomfort that many women—especially young or first-time mothers—feel when breastfeeding in public is one of the major reasons behind this shift. Various studies have shown that some mothers face judgment and stigma for how they feed and raise their babies.

In many cases, this stigma is reinforced by harmful social attitudes. Just recently, a video went viral on social media of a man mocking his wife for breastfeeding, complaining about so-called hygiene issues. The video sparked heated debate online. In the comments section, many women expressed how heartbroken and discouraged they felt—some even admitted to choosing formula feeding out of fear of being humiliated in the same way. This kind of shame not only affects a mother’s ability to continue breastfeeding, but it also discourages her from seeking help or guidance from healthcare workers.

As Kenya joins the rest of the world in marking World Breastfeeding Week, it's clear that improving breastfeeding rates is not just a personal choice—it’s a public health priority. To achieve this, we need a joint effort across different government sectors to eliminate the social and cultural barriers that stand in the way. So, what can be done?

For starters, we need more education—on the benefits of breastfeeding, not just for mothers but for the public at large. The Ministry of Health must also step up and create safe, welcoming spaces where mothers can breastfeed without fear or shame.

Breastfeeding is natural, healthy, and powerful. Let’s create a society where every mother feels supported enough to choose it.