58th World Health Assembly
WHO Executive Board 115th session January 2005

IBFAN joined the Consumers International team and followed two main issues at the WHO Executive Board meeting preparing for the World Health assembly (WHA). Click here for IBFAN's report on what occurred and see below for documents relating to the meeting.

Responding to health aspects in crisis - Agenda item 4.3

Click here for IBFAN's intervention. Comments on the South Asia Tsunami disaster.

Infant and young child nutrition - Agenda item 4.4

Click here for IBFAN's intervention. Comments on current issues needing to be addressed urgently. An Executive Board resolution was adopted to go forward to the World Health Assembly (click here to download a pdf version, click here to obtain versions in other languages from the WHO site).

Contamination of powdered infant formula with Enterobacter Sakazakii has been in the spotlight following the deaths of several infants, with 2 dying in France shortly before the meeting (click here for details). The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), produced an information note on the incidence and risks of Enterobacter Sakazakii contamination for WHO (click here to download).

The increased use of idealizing health claims to promote breastmilk substitutes and complementary foods has been documented by IBFAN's global monitoring project, launched prior to the World Health Assembly in 2004 (click here for details).

While there was strong support for addressing these issues at the 2004 Assembly, a draft Resolution was postponed in controversial circumstances (click here for details).