World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually in the first week of August in over 176 countries.
The number of breastfeeding mothers in Hong Kong is on the rise, but they are having difficulty finding public places where they can breastfeed their child. They also find it hard to continue breastfeeding when they return to work.
The Government is trying to help these mothers. A Department of Health survey found the rate of ever-breastfed babies, meaning those who have been breastfed at least once, increased from 83% in 2013 to 86% this year.
The rate of mothers who give their babies only breast milk for over four to six months also increased from 19% to 27%.
Under Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan said the figures are encouraging and have prompted the Government to do more to strengthen and protect Hong Kong's breastfeeding culture.
To help more mothers breastfeed, the Department of Health is working with the Catering Industrial Association to make restaurants more breastfeeding-friendly.
The department has been working closely with participating restaurants to provide training to their workers so they can assist breastfeeding mothers.
The Government is also keen to support breastfeeding mothers when they return to work. Currently, 85% of government departments have made arrangements to facilitate mothers who need to breastfeed during working hours, such as by providing space and equipment for them, including refrigerators for storing breast milk.
The Food & Health Bureau has sent letters to more than 450 private enterprises inviting them to become a breastfeeding-friendly workplace.
The Committee on Promotion of Breastfeeding has set a three-year plan to further strengthen promotion, protection and support for breastfeeding.
