PHM-Exch> LAUNCH of NEW WHO REPORT: More than half of parents and pregnant women exposed to aggressive formula milk marketing

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: prundall <prundall at babymilkaction.org>



*WHO Press Release:
<https://www.who.int/news/item/22-02-2022-more-than-half-of-parents-and-pregnant-women-exposed-to-aggressive-formula-milk-marketing-who-unicef>
 More than half of parents and pregnant women exposed to aggressive formula
milk marketing – WHO, UNICEF New report details exploitative practices
employed by $55 billion formula industry, compromising child
nutrition, violating international commitments*

*Petition to end unethical formula research on babies reaches 3,700 after
just one day.*



*
<https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/02/23/default-calendar/marketing-the-USD-55-billion-formula-milk-industry?>CLICK
HERE
<https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/02/23/default-calendar/marketing-the-USD-55-billion-formula-milk-industry?>
<https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/02/23/default-calendar/marketing-the-USD-55-billion-formula-milk-industry?fbclid=IwAR0ZsNanmdqLvndqWyjAfnWc5T5kwTdu1ufvc0vJZaiIRyNvx60wbd5BFA4>
to
REGISTER* for the launch on Wednesday 23rd February of the WHO’s new
multi-country report. *Helen C**lar*k – former Prime Minister of New
Zealand will join *Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,* Director-General of the
World Health Organization and UNICEF for the morning event. *Dr Hugo
López-Gatell Ramírez*, Vice Minister of Prevention and Health Promotion,
Government of Mexico will attend the afternoon event.


*CLICK HERE*
<https://www.change.org/p/the-ethical-committees-who-approved-this-study-stop-unethical-infant-formula-trials-on-babies?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_32395873_en-GB:8&recruiter=11781015&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition>
 for the *PETITION *calling for an end to unethical formula research on
babies and HERE <http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/32708> for more
information


*IBFAN welcomes the WHO UNICEF report - How marketing of formula milk
influences our decisions on infant feeding,*

This brave new report looks deeper into the extent of marketing tactics
that influence infant and young child feeding decisions, finding that
*"**exposure
to formula milk marketing reaches 84 per cent of all women surveyed in the
United Kingdom; 92 per cent of women surveyed in Viet Nam and 97 per cent
of women surveyed in China, increasing their likelihood of choosing formula
feeding.” *

The report clearly recommends that governments everywhere adopt, monitor
and enforce laws to prevent the promotion of formula milk, in line
with the International
Code and subsequent WHA Resolutio
<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.who.int%2Fteams%2Fnutrition-and-food-safety%2Ffood-and-nutrition-actions-in-health-systems%2Fnetcode%2Fcode-and-subsequent-resolutions&data=04%7C01%7Cmesfin.hirbaye%40crs.org%7C3c777e4d39264c4827ec08d9e714a9e6%7Cb80c308cd08d4b07915c11a92d9cc6bd%7C0%7C0%7C637795788242111375%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=t5qnNWaC65jo8LvuJN7FssMud6UEDfarpBj2jcKPUD4%3D&reserved=0>
ns,  prohibit promotional claims, adopt parental leave and other policies
to support breastfeeding.  It also recommends that health workers are
banned from accepting sponsorship from companies that market foods for
infants and young children for scholarships, awards, grants, meetings, or
events.

IBFAN has been monitoring company practices
<http://www.babymilkaction.org/monitoring-global> and alongside WHO and
UNICEF has been helping governments bring in strong effective legislation
on the Code for the last 40 years
<http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/29655>.  After many failed attempts
<http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/29032> to persuade baby food
companies to voluntarily stop predatory marketing, it's clear that there is
no point chasing these companies for watered down here-today, gone-tomorrow
promises or considering them to be  ‘partners’ in health.

IBFAN is pleased that this report leaves no-one in any doubt that strong
legislation is the best and only way forward and that policy setting
processes – including global trading standards (2)(3) –  must be
safeguarded from undue commercial influence - first and foremost with
strong and effective transparency and Conflict of Interest safeguards.


_______________________________________


(1)  Interference in public health policy: examples of how the baby food
industry uses tobacco industry tactics
<https://worldnutritionjournal.org/index.php/wn/article/view/155> This
paper shows how the baby food industry uses *all six tobacco industry
interference tactics *to shape global and national governance to suit their
objectives:  (1) manoeuvring to hijack the political and legislative
process; (2) exaggerating economic importance of the industry; (3)
manipulating public opinion to gain appearance of respectability; (4)
fabricating support through front groups; (5) discrediting proven science;
and (6) intimidating governments with litigation.

(2) Will the baby food industry get their way at Codex?
<http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/31632>  Summary of what happened at
the last Codex meeting in November 2021

(3) The baby food industry’s destruction of an irreplaceable natural
resource. <http://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/31455> IBFAN Statement
5th Nov 2021
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