Hi all,

Enjoy!

Pamela
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http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Ban-infant-formula-Motsoaledi-20100513
News 24
Ban infant formula - Motsoaledi
2010-05-13 21:55

Cape Town - Infant milk formula was "no different from skin 
lightening creams" and should be banned worldwide, Health Minister 
Aaron Motsoaledi said on Thursday.

He said at the launch of a Human Sciences Research Council report on 
children and HIV: "I think throughout the world it was a very good 
idea to taper down the advertisement of infant feeding formulas.

"I think they must be banned altogether - throughout the whole 
world," he said, adding that he might propose the idea during 
discussion of the millennium development goals at the World Health 
Assembly next week.

One of the goals related to infant mortality.

"When this is brought [up], because I know it's on the agenda, one 
would bring [up] these issues of infant feeding, because it's one of 
the key issues.

"If there's a move to ban infant formulas, I'll be one of the people 
to support it," he said.

Motsoaledi said there was always argument over the best method of 
feeding a child.

"But we know that breast feeding is by far the best - all around the 
world nothing can ever beat breastfeeding."

If there were exceptions, they should be dealt with.

Boycott

He knew he would shock people with his proposed ban, but formulas 
were "no different from skin lightening creams", which are banned in 
South Africa.

He emphasised that he was talking about milk substitute formulas, not 
other baby foods.

Motsoaledi, who at one time worked as a doctor in rural areas, said 
he knew that in those areas, women sought the slightest excuse to not 
breastfeed.

The World Health Organisation recommends that in most cases babies 
should be exclusively breast-fed for the first six months.

In the mid-1970s, advocacy groups launched a worldwide boycott of 
Swiss formula producer Nestle, accusing it of using unethical methods 
of promoting infant formula over breast-milk to poor mothers in 
developing countries.

The advertising of infant formula has been banned in the United 
Kingdom in recognition of the importance of breastfeeding since 1995.



- SAPA

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