As World Breastfeeding Week approaches, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is encouraging governments throughout the Americas to take stronger action against the rapidly expanding digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes and related products.
The regional health body says the increasing use of social media, artificial intelligence, and personalized online advertising is creating significant challenges for parents trying to make informed decisions about infant feeding.
World Breastfeeding Week, observed annually from August 1 to August 7, highlights the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of both infants and mothers. This year’s campaign also draws attention to the growing influence of digital marketing, which health experts believe is becoming a major obstacle to breastfeeding promotion.
Breastfeeding Remains the Gold Standard for Infant Nutrition
Health professionals continue to recommend breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for babies during the first months of life. Breast milk contains the ideal balance of nutrients needed for healthy growth and development while providing antibodies that strengthen a baby’s immune system and reduce the risk of infections and chronic diseases.
The benefits extend well beyond infancy. Research has consistently shown that breastfeeding contributes to improved cognitive development, healthier growth patterns, and stronger emotional bonding between mother and child.
Mothers also gain important health advantages from breastfeeding. It can lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, and support postpartum recovery by helping the body return to its pre-pregnancy state.
Despite these well-established benefits, breastfeeding rates across many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean remain below international targets.
Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates Still Fall Short
According to PAHO, only 43 percent of babies in Latin America and the Caribbean are exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life. This is significantly below the World Health Organization’s global target of reaching at least 60 percent by 2030.
Experts say the shortfall is driven by several factors, including social pressures, workplace challenges, limited breastfeeding support services, and increasingly aggressive marketing of breast-milk substitutes through digital platforms.
The organization believes the online environment has become one of the fastest-growing influences on how parents feed their infants, making stronger oversight more urgent than ever.
Digital Platforms Have Changed the Marketing Landscape
Unlike traditional advertising through television, newspapers, or billboards, modern digital marketing uses sophisticated technologies to deliver personalized content directly to individuals.
Companies increasingly rely on social media algorithms, influencers, content creators, artificial intelligence, and targeted advertising to reach pregnant women, new mothers, fathers, and caregivers. Because these advertisements are customized based on online behavior and personal interests, many users may not even realize they are being targeted.
PAHO warns that much of this marketing takes place behind the scenes, making it difficult for regulators and the public to detect when commercial promotions violate international standards designed to protect breastfeeding.
Experts Raise Concerns Over Commercial Influence
Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief of PAHO’s Risk Factors Unit, stressed that breastfeeding should not be viewed solely as a personal decision but as an important public health priority.
She explained that giving children the healthiest possible start in life requires more than educating parents. Governments must also ensure that families are protected from commercial messages that could influence their feeding decisions without presenting balanced, evidence-based information.
According to Garcia Larsen, safeguarding breastfeeding in today’s digital world means addressing the commercial practices that increasingly shape what parents see online.
Many Countries Have Yet to Fully Implement International Standards
Data presented during a recent PAHO regional seminar revealed that progress in implementing international breastfeeding protections remains uneven across the region.
Only 45 percent of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have introduced measures linked to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Brazil and Argentina are currently the only countries considered to have substantially aligned their regulations with the Code.
Meanwhile, several Caribbean nations still lack dedicated legislation governing the marketing of infant formula products.
Regional monitoring also identified numerous potential violations on websites, social media platforms, and other digital services where advertisements for breast-milk substitutes continue to appear.
Online Advertising Has Become the Primary Marketing Channel
Nutrition researcher Mónica Mazariegos of the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) noted that marketing strategies have evolved dramatically over the past decade.
She explained that more than 80 percent of advertising for commercial milk formula products now occurs through digital channels rather than traditional media. These campaigns often use highly personalized messaging designed to appeal directly to parents and caregivers.
Studies conducted in Central America have found that individuals exposed to such advertising are more likely to purchase infant formula products. The same research also suggests that continued breastfeeding beyond a child’s first birthday declines by nearly 50 percent among those regularly exposed to digital marketing campaigns.
These findings underscore the growing influence of online advertising on infant feeding practices.
International Code Expands to Address the Digital Era
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes was first adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981. Its primary objective is to ensure that parents receive accurate information about infant feeding and that commercial promotion does not interfere with breastfeeding decisions.
Recognizing the rapid growth of digital media, the World Health Assembly has since expanded the Code’s scope to include online marketing practices. The updated guidance covers social media platforms, influencers, digital content creators, and other forms of internet-based advertising that were not part of the original framework.
Health authorities believe these changes are essential as companies increasingly shift their marketing budgets toward digital platforms.
Stronger Laws and Better Monitoring Needed
Participants at PAHO’s regional seminar agreed that governments must modernize their legal frameworks to keep pace with rapidly changing technology.
Among the recommendations were updating national legislation to specifically regulate digital advertising, strengthening enforcement mechanisms, adopting new technologies capable of detecting online violations, and improving cooperation between countries to address cross-border advertising campaigns.
Experts also emphasized the importance of protecting users’ personal data and ensuring greater transparency in how companies collect information and target advertisements to vulnerable audiences.
Supporting Families Beyond Regulation
PAHO stressed that stronger marketing regulations alone will not be enough to improve breastfeeding rates.
The organization says countries must also invest in breastfeeding counselling services, expand access to trained healthcare professionals, strengthen family support programs, and implement workplace policies that allow mothers to breastfeed for the recommended duration.
When combined, these measures create an environment that enables parents to make informed choices based on scientific evidence rather than commercial influence.
World Breastfeeding Week 2026 Focuses on Sustainable Health
World Breastfeeding Week 2026 will be observed from August 1 to August 7 under the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.”
This powerful theme highlights the undeniable connection between early nutrition, ecological sustainability, and long-term human development.
Breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s health—providing ideal immunity, cognitive development, and nutritional balance—but it is also a zero-waste, eco-friendly food system that requires no packaging, transportation, or artificial energy to produce.
By emphasizing the need to “Strengthen What Works,” the 2026 campaign calls upon governments, healthcare systems, employers, and communities to look at proven, evidence-based interventions that protect and promote breastfeeding.
This includes expanding paid maternity leave, enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, establishing workplace lactation accommodations, and integrating skilled breastfeeding counseling into primary healthcare.
Ultimately, the week serves as a global rallying cry to dismantle systemic barriers, ensuring that every mother receives the support she needs to give her child the healthiest, most sustainable start possible.
As part of the campaign, PAHO will host a virtual regional seminar on August 7, bringing together health professionals, policymakers, researchers, and advocacy groups to exchange successful strategies for improving breastfeeding policies across the Americas.
The organization hopes the event will encourage governments to strengthen protections against misleading digital marketing while expanding practical support for families. Ultimately, PAHO says every parent deserves access to reliable, evidence-based information that allows them to make infant feeding decisions free from inappropriate commercial pressure.
Why is PAHO concerned about the digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes?
PAHO is concerned because companies are increasingly using social media, influencers, artificial intelligence, and targeted online advertising to promote infant formula and related products. These highly personalized marketing strategies can influence parents’ feeding decisions and may discourage breastfeeding by presenting commercial messages instead of impartial, evidence-based health information.
What are breast-milk substitutes?
Breast-milk substitutes are products designed to replace breast milk either partially or completely. They include infant formula, follow-on formula, growing-up milk, and other commercial products marketed for feeding babies and young children.
Why is breastfeeding recommended for babies?
Breastfeeding provides babies with complete nutrition during the first months of life. It strengthens the immune system, lowers the risk of infections and illnesses, supports healthy physical and brain development, and promotes bonding between mother and child. Health experts also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months whenever possible.
What health benefits does breastfeeding offer mothers?
Breastfeeding benefits mothers by helping the uterus recover after childbirth, reducing postpartum bleeding, and lowering the long-term risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and certain cardiovascular diseases. It also supports emotional bonding with the baby.
What is the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes?
The International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is a global public health framework adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981. It was created to regulate the marketing of infant formula and related products, ensuring that families receive accurate information and are protected from inappropriate commercial promotion that could undermine breastfeeding.
Why are digital advertisements more difficult to regulate?
Unlike traditional advertising through television or newspapers, digital advertising can be personalized using user data, browsing habits, and algorithms. Promotions may appear differently for each user and can quickly spread across multiple countries, making monitoring and enforcement more challenging for regulators.
How many babies in Latin America and the Caribbean are exclusively breastfed?
According to PAHO, only about 43% of infants in Latin America and the Caribbean are exclusively breastfed during their first six months of life. This is below the global target of 60% by 2030 set by international health authorities.
Which countries have made the most progress in implementing the International Code?
PAHO reports that Brazil and Argentina have achieved substantial alignment with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. However, many countries across Latin America and the Caribbean still need to strengthen their laws, particularly regarding digital marketing.
What actions is PAHO recommending to governments?
PAHO is urging governments to update laws to cover online advertising, strengthen monitoring and enforcement systems, improve cross-border cooperation, protect personal data, increase transparency in digital advertising, and expand breastfeeding counselling and family support services.
What is the theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2026?
World Breastfeeding Week 2026 is being observed under the theme “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works.” The campaign aims to encourage governments, healthcare providers, and communities to strengthen policies and support systems that promote, protect, and sustain breastfeeding.