Jaajef wa G-L,
This is a very good and useful website which I would like to share with all those interested in health matters> The Baby Milk Action website at:
http://www.gn.apc.org/babymilk/
gives plentiful information on the dangers of Infant formula produced and marketted by multinationals like Nestle and the dangers this causes to the lives of young babies, especially in "under-developed" countries. The site gives up-to-date authoratative infromation and details of campaigns etc. Worth a visit. Some examples are copied below:
Yeenduleen ak jaama
Tony
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Baby Milk Action is a non-profit
organisation which aims to save lives and
to end the avoidable suffering caused by
inappropriate infant feeding. Baby Milk
Action works within a global network to
strengthen independent, transparent and
effective controls on the marketing of the
baby feeding industry.
The global network is called IBFAN (the
International Baby Food Action Network) a network of over
150 citizens groups in over 90 countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 1.5
million infants die around the world every year because they are
not breastfed. Where water is unsafe a bottle-fed child is up to
25 times more likely to die as a result of diarrhoea than a
breastfed child.
That is why a marketing code was introduced in 1981 to
regulate the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. Companies
continue to violate its provisions - see examples here. Find out
how Baby Milk Action works to stop them and how you can
help.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
International development
agencies call on European
Commission to consider
infant health.
Press Release: 22nd April 1999
900 international development agencies have called on the
European Commission to amend a recently adopted Directive
on the marketing of infant formula and to ensure that all EU
policies on infant feeding are consistent with international health
standards.
Meeting in Brussels on Saturday 18 April, the members of the
EU-NGDO Liaison Committee passed a Resolution which
expressed their concern that the new Directive could undermine
world-wide efforts to protect breastfeeding and infant health.
The new Directive makes no reference to an international
marketing code which was adopted at the World Health
Assembly in 1981 with the support of all EU member states,
and which applies to all breast milk substitutes. In contrast, the
new Directive suggests that companies can ignore its
provisions when marketing products for 'special purposes.'
Mike Aaronson, Director General of Save the Children Fund UK
and President of the EU-NGDO Liaison Committee,
emphasised the need for the EU to consider the global
implications of its policies:
"It was only after a lengthy debate with international
development agencies, consumers and MEPs in the 1980s
that the Commission agreed to incorporate many of the
provisions of the International Code into two EU directives on
baby foods.
It is disappointing that the Commission has failed to consult
consumer and development agencies adequately on this new
Directive. The Commission was well aware of the need for
careful marketing of these products, yet it slipped this
proposal through as a "non-controversial" item. This Directive
could have far-reaching effects on infant health world-wide
and Save the Children is extremely concerned."
Glenys Kinnock, MEP and Vice President of the ACP-EU Joint
Assembly says:
"The European Union needs to proceed with caution when
legislation related to infant feeding is under consideration. I
have been concerned for some time about the dangers
inherent in implementing a measure which could result in the
promotion of foods which may be substituted for breast
feeding.
Experience teaches me that we should not relax our vigilance
and that it is all too easy to undermine the policies which
protect the health and well being of infants, particularly in the
developing world. Loopholes are seen as fair game and will
be abused."
The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.5 million infants
die each year because they are not breastfed. Despite this,
baby food companies, many based in Europe, continue to
market their products in ways that undermine breastfeeding.
Concern about these practices gave rise to the International
Code. Over half the world's population now live in countries
where the major provisions of the International Code and the
subsequent resolutions are law. However, widespread
violations continue.
In many developing countries, companies are actively lobbying
governments to weaken regulations on baby foods, and to
ignore the stringent and wide-ranging provisions of the
International Code. International development agencies have no
doubt that the new EU Directive will be used by baby food
companies as a model for their lobby.
Ref: Commission Directive 1999/21/EC of 25 March 1998 on
Dietary Foods for Special Medical Purposes
Notes to Editors:
1.The need for greater transparency
The Commission was advised on this new Directive, and
on previous baby food legislation, by the Scientific
Committee for Food and the Standing Committee on
Foodstuffs. The Standing Committee is composed of civil
servants from Member States and its minutes are secret.
In 1997 Glenys Kinnock asked a question in the European
Parliament regarding the links between one member of the
Scientific Committee and the baby food industry and the
need for greater transparency.
2.Some examples of promotion of specialised formulas:
In Pakistan the baby food industry is putting intense
pressure on the Government to weaken proposed
legislation. The report Feeding Fiasco, pushing
commercial infant foods in Pakistan, by the Network
Association for the Rational Use of Drugs, published in
March 1998, explains how companies have created a
new market for 'specialised formulas'
"The companies... fearlessly indulge in all of their
favourite marketing practices. [they] freely distribute
samples of these formulas, many of them using
special reduced size packs as samples."
The report cites promotional material which diagnoses
"'lactose load-exceeding-lactase production' as the
underlying causes of loose stools, nappy rashes,
diarrhoea, restlessness and general fussiness
without providing any scientific evidence." And
recommends a specialised formula for all these
symptoms. The report continues: "With few laboratory
facilities to diagnose lactose intolerance, most
doctors suspect it in all babies whose mothers
complain of restlessness or crying and prescribe
lactose free formulas."
The marketing policy of the Swiss-based company,
Nestlé, which has approximately 40% of the global
market, says "Nestlé does not donate free infant
formula for use by healthy new-born babies..."
(emphasis added)
Europe In Spain companies give free samples of
specialised formulas to hospitals. In the UK
companies give free supplies of breastmilk fortifiers to
hospitals and advertise specialised formulas to
doctors with unsubstantiated claims and without
mentioning the superiority of breastfeeding.
For further information contact: Patti Rundall, Baby Milk Action,
23 St Andrew's St, Cambridge, CB2 3AX Tel: + 44 1223
464420 Fax:+ 44 1223 464417
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