World Health Assembly May 2000
Infant
and Young Child Nutrition WHA Agenda Item 12.4
Consumers
International
Mr
Chairperson, Director General, distinguished delegates
of the Assembly, I welcome the opportunity to speak
on behalf of Consumers International, on the issue
of infant and young child nutrition. Consumers International
is a partner with the International Baby Food Action
Network (IBFAN), a network of over 150 citizens' groups
who have been working for the last two decades to
protect infant health in more than 90 countries. In
1998 IBFAN received the Alternative Nobel Prize for
its efforts.
IBFAN
works in partnership with UNICEF and WHO. It also
works directly with governments and the health care
system. Through training, monitoring and the development
of important resource tools it has been instrumental
in the implementation of the International Code and
relevant resolutions in many countries. We continue
to see, however, that interference by the infant food
industry and false statements about compliance has
delayed legislation in several countries. We would
like to congratulate Ghana on the enactment of the
Breastfeeding Promotion Regulations, passed into Law
just last week after a nine-year struggle.
There
was no WHA resolution in the last reporting year of
1998. Another reporting year without resolution would
send the message that infant and young child nutrition
is not an area of concern. This is certainly not true
as we heard during the long debate yesterday. The
World Health Assembly should continue to give guidance
to Member States. A Resolution this year would not
inhibit progress in the global strategy and plan of
action; in fact it would accelerate the progress.
IBFAN
and Consumers International note that the Technical
Consultation on Infant and Young Child Feeding
which took place in March 2000 came up with a concluding
statement signed by nearly all participating experts
on the Duration of
Exclusive Breastfeeding. This helps to resolve
the controversy surrounding the appropriate age of
introduction of complementary foods. The technical
consultants stated and I quote, "there is
now sufficient scientific, including epidemiologic
evidence for changing the recommended duration of
exclusive breastfeeding to about 6 monthsÉ"
Unquote. Delegates may also wish to see the article
in today's British
Medical Journal on this issue.
There
is indeed sufficient science to make policy on this
question of age. WHO has already published a review
of the research on this subject . It appeared as Technical
Report: WHO/NUT/98; Complementary Feeding of Young
Children in Developing Countries: a review of current
scientific knowledge. That report states that
the optimal length of exclusive breastfeeding is about
6 months. What must also be taken into account is
that major respected national and international agencies
such as the International Lactation Consultants Association,
La Leche League International, the USAID funded Linkages,
the American Academy of Pediatrics and last but not
least UNICEF have already adopted the six months'
recommendation rather than the old "4 to 6 months".
As the delegate from C™te d'Ivoire said yesterday:
"if we say four, it means cereals can be promoted
from that age on".
We
therefore appreciate the call by Brazil for a 6 month
exlusive breastfeeding recommendation. We were heartened
to see that more than 26 countries supported that
call yesterday. We would like to remind Member States
that two Resolutions were already adopted which mention
6 months. Resolutions are policy of the Organisation.
Could there be other reasons for WHO not to
follow its own policy guidelines?
Also
in the Brazilian draft was a call to strengthen the
implementation of the International Code of Marketing
of Breastmilk Substitutes and all subsequent relevant
WHA Resolutions which enjoy the same status as the
International Code. IBFAN views this as a major
tool in the realisation of steps needed to prevent
the premature interruption of exclusive breastfeeding
and to reverse the decline in the prevalence and duration
of breastfeeding. In this connection we ask that WHO
take effective measures to ensure compliance with
the International Code in new methods of electronic
communications, especially the Internet where we see
parent-targeting websites which promote artificial
feeding as equivalent to breastfeeding and offer free
product samples.
We
also request WHO and Member States to address the
increasing use of health claims by manufacturers of
processed infant foods by ensuring that such claims
are prohibited in standards set at the Codex Alimentarius
and national legislation.
IBFAN
and Consumers International are pleased that WHO is
considering the adoption of Guidelines on Interaction
with Commercial Enterprises. In a world where health
care systems and services are increasingly being privatized,
there is an urgent need for WHO to protect its status
as a truly independent advocate for human rights and
health for all. As the highest policy setting body
on health, WHO has a duty to ensure that its policies,
research priorities (including its research on HIV)
and its direction are not inadvertently subverted
in its drive to attract funds and resources. It is
essential that companies with a vested interest in
the HIV and the infant feeding market are not taken
on as partners by WHO. We hope that the final draft
will garantee WHO's independence in policy and action.
And in order to minimize the need for funds from the
private sector we urge all Member States to fulfil
their financial obligations to the organization.
IBFAN
and Consumers International will continue to offer
WHO and Member States its cooperation in technical
and policy development in infant and young child nutrition
and looks forward to the time where mothers will be
supported in their infant feeding decisions without
commercial interference so that infants and young
children can enjoy the highest attainable level of
health.
We
thank you for your attention.
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