One of the things that really annoys me is hearing how we *can't afford* to promote breastfeeding here in the USA, the richest country in the whole world. Funny how they can *afford* a whole bunch of baby friendly programmes in some of the less developed nations, isn't it? If they can do it in the Philippines... norma, on her soapbox again http://www.bayanihan.org/html/article.php/20060814173244424 GMA confers order of Golden Heart to 2 outstanding Filipino women MANILA, Aug. 14 (PNA) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred Monday the Order of the Golden Heart with rank of Commander to two Filipino women for their pioneering work in the field of breastfeeding advocacy and nutrition and national diets during rites commemorating Breastfeeding Week at Malacaņang's Rizal Hall. The awarding ceremonies coincided with the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the International Milk Code, the 20th anniversary of the National Milk Code (Executive Order No. 51) and the launching of the amended Implementing Rules and Regulations of Executive Order 51. First to be awarded the Presidential Citation was Dr. Natividad Clavano for her pioneering work in the field of pediatrics with her work "Under-Five Clinic National Program," and in infant feeding with her "Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative." Clavano is more known for her work on the latter subject, which promoted the use of breast milk for newborn infants and banned infant formula from the maternity ward of the Baguio General Hospital. It also enforced a regime of "rooming in" of the infant. Clavano's Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was based on a study conducted in her hospital, which showed a very dramatic reduction of infant illness and mortality after the use of baby milk formula and teats from maternity wards were totally eliminated. This radical program made the good doctor famous all over the world with 192 countries replicating this initiative. It also spurred the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to pass the International Code on the Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and Other Related Products in 1981. This unilateral declaration pushed the revolutionary government of then President Corazon Aquino to sign into law EO 51 known as the National Milk Code in 1986. The second Filipina to be honored was Manuela Maramba who holds the distinction of being the first nutritionist in the Philippines. Maramba, through her Philippine Nutrition Program, rejected the proposal of post-World War II UNICEF to import milk into the country as part of its program of nutrition to rehabilitate its war-ravaged society. Instead, Maramba encouraged the consumption of indigenous foods that are good or an even better source of nutrients, especially calcium, than imported milk. She said that Filipino cooking methods efficiently extract calcium from bones and vegetables, with the use of sour or acidic ingredients such as vinegar, tamarind, calamansi, kamias, and santol and deliver to the Filipino palate through adobo, sinampalukang manok, paksiw, sinigang and others. This revolutionary approach of Maramba to Public Health Nutrition instantly received recognition from the WHO and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which jointly sent her to develop National Nutrition Diets using indigenous food sources in Burma, India and Sumatra. She was then asked to help the South Pacific Commission of the UN to similarly develop National Nutrition Diets for all the Pacific Islands, including Micronesia, Melanesia and New Caledonia. The Order of the Golden Heart gives official recognition to foreign and local citizens who have rendered distinguished services or given noteworthy monetary or material aid, encouragement to the campaign for the amelioration and improvement of the moral, social and economic conditions of the Filipino masses. Joining the President during the awarding ceremonies were Secretary of Health Francisco Duque III, Representative and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Health Ana York Bondoc, UNICEF Country Representative Nicholas Alipui, Presidential Consultant Hilarion Henares, Jr., Children for Breastfeeding co-founder and breastfeeding advocate Elvira Henares-Esguerra and Philippine Medical Association president Jose Sabili. President Arroyo signed Presidential Proclamation No. 884 on July 29, 2005 declaring the week of August 1 to 7 of every year as World Breastfeeding Week in the Philippines. (PNA) *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html