Virginia
I hear you. Indeed, who is protecting breastfeeding in China? This
should be a matter for international concern. Where is UNICEF in all
this? Or WHO? Or the political clout at the topmost international
level to divert what's coming? Trade always seems to trump health
concerns. Formula will probably do more for population control in
China than even they ever dreamed of.
You sound as frustrated as I used to be about the "export" of
formula-feeding to countries and continents hit hard by HIV. This
exercise was masterminded originally by UNICEF and WHO as a mechanism
for avoidance of transmission of postpartum HIV. Except that there
was never any intention to monitor, or to even record, the results to
see whether it did good or harm. I "saw" it as the export of
harmful traditional practices of Western nations to unsophisticated
peoples for whom it would be devastating, ie those where
breastfeeding was a cornerstone of child survival. It was done on
the platform of human rights, using the language and the ideology
that we use all the time, promoting the concept of the rightness of
maternal choice of infant feeding method with freebies to enable the
choice. Once the attractiveness of the concept had taken hold, then
the free samples were withdrawn and governments or mothers themselves
were expected to take over purchase of supplies. And there has been
an absolutely devastating effect on breastfeeding practices of those
countries most badly affected. It took a decade before there was
even anyone brave enough to actually start documenting the scale of
the disaster that ensued. The first was the CDC, bless them and in
Botswana, of all places! And only now, almost a decade after that,
are we starting to read review papers of the chaotic results. But
the planning was brilliant in the way that formula-feeding was talked
up to the health ministries of unsuspecting nations who trusted the
international health agencies when they provided the fool-proof
training courses, complete with funding and expertise to oil the
wheels. Reversing it all has been far less successful. Support for
successive policy changes admitting that formula causes more death
than HIV-laced breastmilk has been conspicuous by its absence. And
now, beyond finally issuing fresh recommendations to resume
breastfeeding, the agencies have abandoned these same countries to
conducting their own damage control because of course there's
suddenly no more funding available to support a return to breastfeeding.
And now the disaster that's going to be the death of breastfeeding in
China looms like a mushroom cloud on the horizon. I have a good
friend who follows this and he describes it as a tsunami. Thank you
for reminding us Virginia that we have a long history of supporting
"trade" at the expense of the health consequences for less
sophisticated nations. I wonder what we can do about this one?
Pamela Morrison IBCLC
Rustington, England
--------------------------------------------
At 04:00 17/03/2014, you wrote:
>Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 11:31:18 +1000
>From: vgthorley <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Australian exports of powdered infant formula to China
>
>I'm just listening to a radio interview with someone from a dairy
>milk factory in Victoria, Australia. He is talking up the positives
>for his industry of exporting various dairy products to China,
>including fresh, liquid cow's milk, powdered cow's milk for
>household use - and powdered infant formula (PIF). The trend of
>tourists and others sending large batches of PIF home to relations
>in China was mentioned, with the suggestion that this was beneficial
>as people in some parts of China don't have access to PIF. From the
>interview, he seemed to think of this as an essential. The man from
>the dairy company was "all about marketing success", not what this
>is doing to breastfeeding in an increasingly consumer economy.
>
>I've mentioned this on Lactnet before. I wonder how breastfeeding
>rates, especially exclusive breastfeeding rates, in China in 2013
>(when they are available) will compare with rates five years
>ago. Who is protecting breastfeeding against this rampant trade?
>I'm angry about my country's increasing role in spreading the use of
>breastmilk substitutes round the world, and lauding this as
>"marketing" and "trade". In the 19th century it was opium that was
>aggressively promoted as "trade" by European powers (long story).
>Trade is not necessarily benign, whether on individuals or recipient
>economies - as these examples remind us.
>
>Virginia
>in Brisbane
---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|