Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2025: Promoting Sustainable Support for Maternal and Child Health

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week

To support World Breastfeeding Week, the Department of Health (DH) today (July 31), in collaboration with the Hospital Authority (HA), the Hong Kong Committee for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association, held a celebration event for World Breastfeeding Week 2025 to fully promote and support breastfeeding.

World Breastfeeding Week is observed annually between August 1 and 7. The theme of this year is "Prioritise breastfeeding and create sustainable support systems", which urges all sectors in the community to attach importance to breastfeeding, collaborate to provide comprehensive support to increase the sustainability of breastfeeding with the aim to enhance overall maternal and child health.

International research shows that breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. Breastmilk is safe, clean and contains antibodies which can help prevent many common childhood illnesses. Breastfed children perform better in intelligence tests, are less likely to become overweight or obese, and are less prone to develop diabetes later in life.

Speaking at the celebration event, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, noted that cross-sector collaboration is crucial in achieving comprehensive support. The Government has long attached importance to the promotion, protection and support for breastfeeding, and has set up a multisectoral Committee on Promotion of Breastfeeding to promote breastfeeding through collaboration and a multipronged approach.

The DH has fully launched and expedited the accreditation process for Baby-Friendly Health Facilities at its Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs). Seven newly accredited Baby-Friendly MCHCs this year received certificates from the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association at the event today. Currently, there are 15 Baby-Friendly MCHCs under the DH, while the remaining 14 MCHCs are undergoing the accreditation process. All eight public hospitals with obstetrics departments under the HA have been accredited as Baby Friendly Hospitals (BFHs). Two private hospitals providing delivery services have also started the accreditation process, with one of them already accredited. The Government encourages more private hospitals to join the BFHs. A dedicated working group under the Committee on Promotion of Breastfeeding has been set up to enhance and reinforce baby friendly measures at hospitals with maternity services. Accredited facilities have to formulate infant feeding policies and action plans, provide relevant training to staff members and continue to monitor the implementation of breastfeeding support measures, etc.

Apart from the healthcare systems, the Government is also committed to creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment. Since early 2019, the Government mandated the provision of babycare and breastfeeding facilities in the newly built government premises for public and staff members' use. Separately, since 2017, the Government has specified detailed requirements in the Conditions of Sale of new commercial land sale sites, including the area and number of babycare facilities and/or lactation rooms that shall be provided in these commercial development projects. Regarding workplaces, the Government encourages the implementation of the Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace policy. The DH issued guidelines for employers and employees with specific advice on supporting breastfeeding to enable working mothers to continue breastfeeding after returning to work. The Health Bureau, the DH and the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF jointly launched the large-scale community-based campaign Say Yes to Breastfeeding since 2015 which aims to enhance breastfeeding support among premises and workplaces.

Comprehensive support is also provided for premature and critically ill babies. Dr Fan expressed that the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank (HKBMB)which commenced service early this year, provides the best possible nutrition to many clinically needy infants through breast milk donated by selfless lactating mothers. The celebration event also invited breastfeeding families, a peer counsellor and a mother who benefited from the HKBMB, to share their experiences and feelings, with a view to reaffirming the importance of breastfeeding and appealing to family members, the community and workplace to support breastfeeding.

With the start of the World Breastfeeding Week, a series of promotional activities will be launched by the DH, including displaying of publicity materials across the territory, producing a new Announcement in the Public Interest for TV broadcasts and advocating breastfeeding through radio, newspapers, social media and webpages etc.

The Government will continue to encourage all sectors of the community to further promote, protect and support breastfeeding with a view to creating a breastfeeding-friendly environment and enhancing the sustainability of breastfeeding.

Members of the public can visit the thematic website www.fhs.gov.hk/wbw2025/index.html for more information on World Breastfeeding Week 2025.

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH fully committed to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in support of World Breastfeeding Week Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases