Formula companies use WHO xecutive Board to battle Code and labelling

 

IBFAN is concerned that activities such as sponsorship; secondment of staff; funding for research and conferences are also not identified as problems. The Strategy has to reaffirm the concern raised in WHA Resolution 49.15 (1996) regarding conflict of interests and recognize it as a recurring threat to the full support for breastfeeding by many institutions, associations and individuals.”

 

—IBFAN Submission to the WHO Executive Board meeting,

   January 2002

 

Amid controversy, the World Health Organization’s Executive Board met this past January to set the agenda for the upcoming World Health Assembly scheduled for May 2002. WHO’s Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding is on the program for the May Assembly and the formula industry’s lobbyists were out in full force to water down important breastfeeding protection

proposals.

 

INFACT Canada was there and together with our IBFAN partners we identified a number of key areas for our focus:

 

Lack of clear specific language on breastfeeding

 

Instead of discussing infant feeding as set out in Resolution 54.2 passed May 2001, where clear language is used:

“exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding with the addition of safe and appropriate complementary foods for two years and beyond,” the text of the Global Strategy uses vague terms such as “optimal infant feeding practices” without accurately defining this term.

 

Lack of full recognition of the impact of unethical marketing

 

Continued unethical marketing in Canada and around the globe is a major barrier to the implementation of full and optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. The document fails to adequately emphasize the role and responsibilities of infant food manufacturers.

 

Lack of addressing conflicts of interest

 

The Strategy does not address conflicts of interest as was previously done in WHA Resolution 49.15 which reads, “to ensure that the financial support for professionals working with infant and young child health does not create conflicts of interest.” Instead the document promotes the active participation of “civil society” defined to include “industrial and commercial enterprises and their associations.”

  

Manipulating the rules

A very large presence of representatives from the Infant Food Manufacturers,

Nestle and all the other infant foods and infant formula companies heavily lobbied the various Member States of the Executive Board. A number of countries brought forward amendments to strengthen the breastfeeding language, code implementation and eliminate conflict of interest.

Brazil proposed in a written amendment that “complementary foods” to supplement breastfeeding be clearly labeled for age, which would have instructed WHO to request the Codex Alimentarius to require such labelling. Although it was never withdrawn, the amendment was not included in the

final version of the resolution. Egypt sought specific language acknowledging the World Health Assembly Resolution 54.2 which says exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life. Cuba also proposed an emphasis on the link

between formula feeding and obesity.

 

The U.S. representative, although not a member of the Executive Board but with a right to speak as long as it does not affect decisions made by Executive Board members, took licence to intervene. She argued that the amendments were redundant. Needless to say, the industry reps were delighted with the U.S. support.  

 

The Chair then asked the board whether it would pass the resolution “as presented in the original draft form” without any amendments, and quickly ended the session without waiting for a response. Several delegates expressed dismay at the abruptness of the closure.

 

Work to be done

Considerable work needs to be done before May. Currently Canada is not a member of the Executive Board but is a full member of the Assembly. INFACT Canada will prepare a briefing document to request the support of the Canadian government to strengthen the draft Resolution proposed for the Assembly in May. We look forward to the help of you, our members, in our attempts for a better and stronger Resolution for breastfeeding.

 

Joo Kean (right) of IBFAN Penang’s Code Documentation Centre and Elisabeth Sterken discussing the Global Strategy at the WHO Executive Board meeting Photo by Patti Rundall, Baby Milk Action, UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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