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WHO's global strategy is tool to protect breast feeding
and child health
Manufacturers encourage transparent and official
monitoring of WHO code
WHO's global strategy is tool to protect breast feeding and
child health
EDITOR
Waterson and Tumwine assert that governments
should accept promotion and protection of breast feeding as critical for
improving child health.1 In May 2002 the
World Health Assembly produced its strategy for infant and young
child feeding.2 The World Health
Organization's international code of marketing of breast milk
substitutes3 and subsequent relevant assembly
resolutions are integral to this strategy, which is intended as
a model for all governments to adapt and adopt as national policy.
In the United Kingdom there is no indication that the government is considering this strategy or intends to commit to a comprehensive national policy, including the implied collection and evaluation of information.2 Currently only some provisions of the WHO code and World Health Assembly resolutions are enacted in UK legislation; no formal monitoring has been undertaken; legal mechanisms for enforcement have proved cumbersome. Since the United Kingdom performs poorly in terms of breastfeeding rates in comparison with other European countries there is no room for complacency (R Saadev, Department of Health conference on barriers to breast feeding, London, 2002).
If the United Kingdom were to commit to a national policy on feeding infants
and young children it would help protect child health in the United
Kingdom. In addition, if full collaboration of all concerned
government agencies were implemented effectively, aid to low income
countries could include capacity building so that countries such as
Togo and Burkina Faso would have the means to monitor the protection
of their children's health. Currently monitoring is all too often
left to small non-governmental groups operating on shoestring
budgets. Let us take heed of the warning from west Africa and act now
in the United Kingdom to contribute nationally to global child
health.4
Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Network, PO Box 21116, Paisley PA2 8YB
magda@sachsdavis.clara.net
Competing interests: MS is an adviser to Baby Milk Action, the UK member of the International Baby Feeding Action Network (IBFAN).
| 1. | Waterston T, Tumwine J. Monitoring the marketing of
infant formula feeds. BMJ 2003; 326: 113-114 |
| 2. | World Health Organization. Infant and young child nutrition: global strategy on infant and young child feeding. In: Geneva: WHO, 2002. www.who.int/gb/EB_WHA/PDF/WHA55/ea5515.pdf |
| 3. | World Health Organization. International code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes. In: Geneva: WHO, 1981. |
| 4. | Aguayo VM, Ross JS, Kanon S, Ouedraogo AN.
Monitoring compliance with the International Code of Marketing of
Breastmilk Substitutes in west Africa: multisite cross sectional
survey in Togo and Burkina Faso. BMJ 2003; 326: 113-114 |
Manufacturers encourage transparent and official monitoring of WHO code
EDITORWaterston and Tumwine's editorial and the study
it describes are an example of why the International Association of
Infant Food Manufacturers supports a better way to monitor and
enforce the code in many countries. 1
2 Our member companies are committed
to the health and wellbeing of infants and young children. We support
the aims and principles of the WHO code. For the code to succeed,
however, national governments must oversee monitoring and enforcement
in keeping with their own legislative and regulatory framework. The
code itself recommends this, and indeed it is key to its
success.
The reported study was led by a representative of the International Baby Feeding Action Network, which has devised its own system of monitoring. Under the WHO code, monitoring groups are required to inform companies of alleged non-compliance immediately so that they can respond and take corrective actions, if necessary. Yet in the three years since this monitoring took place, none of the researchers contacted the companies mentioned.
Data collection for the study was based on inaccurate interpretations of the WHO code. Most of the alleged violations refer to products that are complementary foods (such as baby cereals or fruit juices) and not breastmilk substitutes. The code explicitly excludes complementary foods from the marketing restrictions. Accusations came to light only in this article.
We are interested in cooperation and partnership with WHO, other institutions
dedicated to the welfare of children, non-governmental organisations,
and our member companies. To protect the health and promote nutrition
of infants and young children, governments need to be encouraged to
enforce the WHO code; monitoring must be based on research methods
that fulfil basic reliability criteria, be transparent, and be
carried out according to national legislation and standards. Only
when we are focused on this shared goal will the code
succeed.
Andrée Bronner
International Association of Infant Food Manufacturers, 194 rue de Rivoli,
F75001 Paris, France
andree.bronner@wanadoo.fr
Competing interests: None declared.
| 1. | Waterston T, Tumwine J. Monitoring the marketing of
infant formula feeds. BMJ 2003; 326: 113-114 |
| 2. | Aguayo VM, Ross JS, Kanon S, Ouedraogo AN.
Monitoring compliance with the International Code of Marketing of
Breastmilk Substitutes in west Africa: multisite cross sectional
survey in Togo and Burkina Faso. BMJ 2003; 326: 113-114 |
© 2003 BMJ
Publishing Group Ltd
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