Historical Dictionary of the World Health Organization by Lee Kelley;Fang Jennifer;

Author:Lee, Kelley;Fang, Jennifer;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

INTERNATIONAL CODE OF MARKETING OF BREAST-MILK SUBSTITUTES

A code, in the form of nonbinding recommendations, adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund in 1981 as a guideline on the marketing of breast-milk substitutes (infant formula) by food manufacturers. The adoption of the code followed an active campaign, beginning in the early 1970s, led by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) against selected marketing practices aimed at new mothers in developing countries. The campaign presented evidence that the marketing practices were leading to harmful feeding practices. This led the WHA to adopt a resolution in 1974 urging member states to review the marketing of breast-milk substitutes in their countries. Despite protests from the food industry, the code was adopted by a vote of 118:3:1, with the United States opposed. Among the code’s stipulations are that manufacturers not use health care facilities or health visitors to promote infant formulas, should not distribute free samples to new mothers, and should acknowledge the superiority of breast feeding on product labels.

As a result of the code and the continual lobbying of NGOs, the Swiss company Nestlé signed an unprecedented agreement in January 1984 to adhere to the code. Since the mid-1980s, WHO has continued to develop activities to promote infant and young-child nutrition, including technical support to national governments for implementing the code. For this purpose, the Innocenti Declaration was adopted, which set operational targets for the code’s implementation within member states.

See also BABY-FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE; INFANT FORMULA ACTION COALITION (INFACT); INTERNATIONAL BABY FOOD ACTION NETWORK (IBFAN); INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF INFANT FOOD INDUSTRIES (ICIFI); MOTHER-BABY PACKAGE.

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