Last month marked the 39th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Code Of Marketing Of Breastmilk Substitutes. As the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) reminds us, “Following the adoption of the Code in 1981, governments have been called upon by the World Health Assembly to give effect to the provisions in the Code through national legislation. So far, UNICEF/ World Health Organization (WHO)/ #IBFAN have identified 136 countries as having Code regulations in place.”
You might know that the U.S. is not one of these nations.
In a timely offering– when formula companies use the crises of the pandemic to prey on mothers and babies– The Network for Global Monitoring and Support for Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent relevant World Health Assembly Resolutions (#NetCode) has developed a toolkit to reinvigorate and reinforce ongoing monitoring and periodic assessment of the Code and national laws. The toolkit offers health advocates an opportunity to connect with governments to establish a sustainable system that will monitor, detect and report violations of national laws. Find it here: https://waba.org.my/netcode-toolkit-for-ongoing-monitoring-and-periodic-assessment-of-the-code/?fbclid=IwAR2PzeROMctrsCJ3ZiG8gah07IXQMhI-3eSn6EqLDhV3-TdGhhmk-IxDzt4
“Formula manufacturers are exploiting the panic and fears of contagion to intensify their aggressive marketing practices,” Patti Rundall writes in the Baby Milk Action policy blog. “In this context, government action to regulate the marketing of breast-milk substitutes has never been greater.”
On May 28, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) launched the virtual 2020 Status Report which highlights which countries have implemented measures required by the Code. [The official launch event can be viewed here.]
“Given the important role of health workers in protecting pregnant women, mothers and their infants from inappropriate promotion of breast-milk substitutes, the 2020 report provides an extensive analysis of legal measures taken to prohibit promotion to health workers and in health facilities,” Thahira Shireen Mustafa, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, writes.
In the U.S. in late March, Baby-Friendly USA released a statement detailing access to adequate nutrition for babies born during the Covid-19 crisis with an announcement explaining that BFUSA would relax one standard regarding the provision of small quantities of formula upon discharge to formula feeding families in communities experiencing shortages in retail outlets.
“We did so to ensure that formula feeding families receive essential support during this global emergency,” BFUSA CEO Trish MacEnroe writes. “We did NOT loosen restrictions on interactions with formula companies.”
MacEnroe goes on to write, “Regrettably, some formula companies have interpreted our statement as a window of opportunity to reengage their aggressive marketing tactics with Baby-Friendly designated hospitals…
“We at BFUSA are appalled that these companies would use the pandemic as an ‘opportunity’ to advance their business interests under the guise of an intent to support facilities during this difficult time.
So, please let us be perfectly clear: Our standards are still our standards. We have not ‘loosened’ our guidelines and we still expect Baby-Friendly designated facilities to shield health care workers, mothers and families from commercial influence, as outlined in the International Code of Marketing Breast-Milk Substitutes.”
In other parts of the world too, companies exploit the Covid-19 crisis. Baby Milk Action documents how one company violates Indian Law with their YouTube channel. Keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling on Baby Milk Action’s page and you’ll find offense after offense after offense documented in multiple countries.
In response, there are several documents cited offering guidance on how to navigate avoiding partnerships with these corporations. Find them here.
On an individual level, this is a great time to remind Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) of our Code of Ethics which states we must “Abide by the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions which pertain to health workers.”