CHENANGO COUNTY – In celebration of breastfeeding mothers all over the world, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is encouraging local municipalities to support breastfeeding with the upcoming breastfeeding week, and this year's theme is, "Breastfeeding: Foundation of Life."

The World Breastfeeding Week begins on August 1 and ends on August 7th, and this year's event organizers hope to inform people about good nutrition, anchor breastfeeding as a foundation of life, engage individuals and organizations for greater educational impact, and galvanise action to advance breastfeeding as part of food security and poverty reduction.

"The 823,000 child deaths, 20,000 maternal deaths, and $302 billion in economic losses each year are stark reminders of the current reality. All of these, and more, could be prevented by scaling up breastfeeding," said WABA in an official release.

According to WABA, breastfeeding not only saves lives and money, but it also helps to prevent malnutrition, ensure food security even in times of crisis, and break the cycle of poverty.