PHM-Exch> Fwd: 65th WHA -NCD Alliance proposal for a new Platform

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Patti Rundall <prundall at babymilkaction.org>

*65th World Health Assembly (21st-26th May)  Concerns about the NCD
Alliance proposal for a Global Platform on NCDs*

In the run up to the WHA next week we heard about a new proposal by the
 NCDAlliance, calling on Member States to support the creation of a Global
Platform on NCDs.

Many NGO members of the Conflict of Interest Coalition  have written to
NCDa to express concerns about this idea,  that the  places the Private
Sector in the driving seat of health policy planning.

In response to these concerns we are pleased that the NCDa has now added a
reference to  *"appropriate safeguards against vested interests,"* to its
new  statement  issued today (18th May)  An important step in the right
direction.

However, many of  us still  feel that after all the discussions that have
taken place at the UN and WHO,  this proposal  takes us backwards
rather than forwards. It undermines the main concerns of Conflict of
Interest Coalition  that a clear  differentiation is made between policy,
 norms and standards development and appropriate involvement
in implementation.   We fear that this muddles the issue and will play into
the hands of those who favour slow, incremental industry-friendly voluntary
approaches rather than legally binding measures that hold the private
sector accountable for their practices.

The NCDa will have a meeting on Monday where the idea will be launched
entitled *Champions and Alliances: Working in Partnership to Secure
a Global Platform on NCDs*

I have tried to sum up some of the concerns on my blog on this link:
*http://info.babymilkaction.org/NCDAlliance*

 Have a good weekend

Patti

*Other news and links that may be useful to you*
*
*

   - * New PAHO expert recommendations on Marketing of foods and drinks to
   Children  in the Americas **http://info.babymilkaction.org/PAHO *
   - *How Washington went soft on Childhood Obesity*:
   http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/12/04/Food_lobby.pdf
   - *Nestlé and Food Safety: discrepancy between the company’s public
   statements and actual practices*:  Swiss TV station featuring the story
   of a court case brought against Nestlé by a former employee. *
   http://info.babymilkaction.org/NestlefrenchTV*
   - The *International Diabetes Federation *(IDF) (one of NCDa's 4
    steering group members) has  signed a 3 year deal with Nestlé - pushing
   its education programme Healthy Kids.
   - Deborah Cohen of the BMJ has done a blog about it
here<http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2012/05/14/deborah-cohen-on-nestle-and-the-international-diabetes-federation-comfortable-bedfellows/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+bmj/blogs+%28Latest+BMJ+blogs%29>
   :
   - *
   http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2012/05/14/deborah-cohen-on-nestle-and-the-international-diabetes-federation-comfortable-bedfellows/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bmj%2Fblogs+(Latest+BMJ+blogs)<http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2012/05/14/deborah-cohen-on-nestle-and-the-international-diabetes-federation-comfortable-bedfellows/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+bmj/blogs+%28Latest+BMJ+blogs%29>
   *
   -  The Guardian also covered it
HERE<http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/may/09/hugh-muir-diary-surveillance>:
      *
   http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/may/09/hugh-muir-diary-surveillance
   *
   - * Swiss TV news bulletin about the court case brought against Nestlé
   by a former employee.
**http://info.babymilkaction.org/NestleSwissTV*Article
   by Corrina Hawkes in today's BMJ, *Food policies for healthy populations
   and healthy economies  *BMJ 2012; 344 doi: 10.1136/bmj.e2801 (Published
   15 May 2012)
   - Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e2801
   http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2801?etoc=
   - *European Food Safety Authority and conflicts of interest:*
   http://info.babymilkaction.org/news/policyblog
   - *Baby Milk Action Update 44*: *
   http://info.babymilkaction.org/update/update44contents*
   - The AGENDA  <http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha65.html> and background
   papers for the WHA are  here <http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha65.html>: *
   http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha65.html *  NCDs and other technical issues
   such as Maternal and Infant and Young Child Nutrition will happen first,
   followed by  WHO Reform. (see some of the NGO comments on WHO Consultation
   here: *http://info.babymilkaction.org/partnershipconsultation )*
   - *Demonstration 19 May 2012: The Nestle monster is on the loose -
   trampling on the rights of mothers and babies**
   http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease19may12*

*
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