Page 29 - DIVA_4_2009

ver. IBFAN uncovered, practices is actually
among other things, how declining.
Nestlé was donating free
or low-cost formula to According to Dr. Bhutta,
health facilities, which the top three challenges
was then passed onto new for promoting breastfee-
mothers, only to charge ding are reaching rural
much higher prices for so- and urban squatter seg-
called follow-up formula, ments, engaging high
Code. It further explains which families in develo- HIV/AIDS-burdened
that IBFAN's accusations ping countries cannot countries "in ways that
of Code violations apply to afford. Once an infant has make sense", and prevai-
on
baby foods that are not started over the
ling
intended as, and not formula, it is rarely able to "onslaught" of misinfor-
marketed as, breastmilk resume breastfeeding, and mation from formula
substitutes, and thus fall in the meantime the mother companies. pressures on mothers
outside the scope of the may have stopped lactating through legislation, new
Code. due to the lack of There is hope in a number advocacy and information
stimulation. These families of new programs. In Dr. campaigns, and supporting
Subsequent WHO inter- then have little choice but Bhutta's home country. of breastfeeding counseling,
national public health to continue buying expen- Pakistan, for example, one all strategies known to
policy, however, covers sive formula they cannot experimental program had increase breastfeeding.
these baby foods, the use afford. Issues like this government-paid health
regarding Code complian-
of workers engage in follow- It is difficult to say what
industry
which
encourages as soon as pos- ce continually arise and are up visits and breastfeeding the world will look like in
sible as "complementary reported periodically by counseling with new another 30 years, but if
foods" and "follow-up IBFAN. mothers that proved highly IBFAN has its way, the
foods". The WHO policy is successful in encouraging practice of breastfeeding
unequivocal: exclusive Thirty years into the fight, new mothers to breastfeed. will once again be widesp-
breastfeeding for the first significant read, contributing to a new
challenges
Another promising sign
six months then a gradual remain. At the celebration, comes again from IBFAN: era of overall health for
introduction of follow-up Dr. Zulfigar Bhutta high-
its Global Breastfeeding infants and young children.
foods, with breastfeeding lighted some disturbing Initiative
Child
for
continuing until the child is statistics on the current Survival (GBICS) is a
two years or older, if state of breastfeeding. Of multi-tiered approach to
possible. the nine million infant protect, promote and
deaths worldwide every support breastfeeding. The
In the early 1980's, Nestlé year, an estimated 1.4 initiative includes plans to
even set up its own million die as a result of reduce
commercial
commission to evaluate its inadequate breastfeeding.
marketing, intending to use Conversely, infants who
its findings as arguments are breastfed have a 40%
against these claims. Yet as lower mortality rate and
the boycott intensified, lower malnutrition rates.
Nestlé promised it would Recalling WHO policy,
begin to comply with the Bhutta estimates 10-11%
Code, and the boycott was of infant deaths could be
called off in 1984. This prevented by early
was recounted by Chetley, initiation to breastfeeding
a long-time veteran of the (within one hour of birth),
struggle, as one of the exclusive breastfeeding for
more difficult periods in the first six months,
IBFAN's history, as the appropriate introduction of
organization had to re- complementary foods, and
evaluate its goals and prio- continued breastfeeding
rities. for two years and beyond.
Yet recent studies in
Repeated scandal invol- Southeast Asia, for
ving Nestlé resulted in example, reveal that the
renewed boycotts, howe- prevalence of these

4 2009 Diva 27

www.divainternatjonal.ch