PHM-Exch> Voices of 45000 People Reach World Health Assembly with a Call to Save Newborn Lives

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: arun gupta arun at ibfanasia.org


 Media Release IBFAN 23 May 2009


*Voices of 45000 People Reach World Health Assembly with a Call to Save
Newborn Lives *

This week, IBFAN, the International Baby Food Action Network, made a clear
call when it launched its ‘One Million Campaign: Support Women to
Breastfeed’ (www.onemillioncampaign.org) at World Health Assembly.  The
IBFAN team submitted a petition to the President of World Health Assembly,
Mr. NS de Silva, signed by more than 45000 people from 161 countries.

Mr. de Silva said as he received the petition: “…In Sri Lanka we have very
specific indicators……with our campaign for promoting
 (exclusive)breastfeeding, it  has come to 78% , we are happy about it, and
we want the Asia region, and whole world should promote this concept !”

The petition demands concrete support systems for breastfeeding women to
increase the coverage of early and exclusive breastfeeding. This would help
save more than one million newborn and infant lives annually, as well
improve the health of their mothers. Needless to say, it will also set a
path for healthy adult life.

Dr. Arun Gupta, the regional coordinator of IBFAN Asia, went on to present
the demands of the petition to the World Health Assembly, urging the
Assembly to adopt a resolution in 2010 to deal with 4 key issues.

First, to prepare a specific plan of action on infant feeding which is
budgeted and coordinated in the same way as action plans for immunisation.

Second, to ensure the end of promotion of baby milks and foods intended for
children under 2 years in a time-bound manner, that is by 2015.

Third, to end partnerships in the area of infant and young child feeding and
nutrition with commercial sector corporations that present conflicts of
interests.

And fourth, to create support and maternity entitlements for women both in
the formal and informal sectors, so that mothers and babies can stay close
to each other for six months at least.

Today, the World Health Organisation recognised the importance for infants
to be exclusively breastfed: at the launch of the World Health Statistics
Report 2009, for the first time, this key indicator was included in the
statistics. While including an indicator on exclusive breastfeeding is good
step forward, says Alison Linnecar, of IBFAN, "Early and exclusive
breastfeeding should be monitored in the process of tracking progress of
Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 goal of child survival, both nationally
and globally".

The report reveals that about only 48 million of 135 million babies born are
able to benefit from exclusive breastfeeding, due to reasons such as
aggressive promotion of baby milks and baby foods and lack of supportive
health systems.

Many countries have still to enact national legislation to end this
promotion in compliance with  the International Code of Marketing of
Breastmilk Substitutes that was adopted by the World Health Assembly in
1981. Says Annelies Allain of IBFAN “Action must be accelerated on this
crucial intervention”.

According to Dr Gupta, "There is an increasing trend towards mobilising
public private partnerships in these areas, which is not healthy. These are
a way for corporations to increase their profits….It is business for
corporations meeting their basic objectives. Commercial interference on
parents’ infant feeding decisions  should end."

Contacts:

Arun Gupta, IBFAN Asia
E-mail: arun at ibfanasia.org
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