ATTENTION, everyone!  The upcoming Stockholders' meeting to occur on
Friday, April 28, in a suburb north of Chicago deserves your attention.  IF
you know someone who owns Ross/Abbott stock, rattle their cage(s).  One of
the votes to be put forth is to vote AGAINST the WHO Code which was finally
ratified (13 years late!) by the US nearly a year ago in May.  While that
was a govt action, and the stockholders of a publicly-owned company cannot
change that, you can bet that a vote against same will help Ross continue
their negative activities, which include the following: (pardom me for a
lengthy message, but the topic seems to deserve it)---

a) They are in continual violation of the WHO/UNICEF Code of Marketing of
Breast-milk Substitutes since the inception of the Code. This has not
changed in the US since the US voted to support the WHO Code.  To wit...

1) It provides health care facilities with free supplies of formula
2) It seeks to look *for* breastfeeding and sceince by providing RESEARCH
and EDUCATIONAL grants in exchange for a *guarantee* that mothers will get
their discharge packs which include formula, coupons, and literature
promoting its use
3) it sends free cases of formula to new mothers regardless of the mother's
plan re: feeding; they often get the names from OBs and childbirth
educators who don't know any better or who give the names in exchange for
*free* educational supplies
4) it distributes a series of videos (all of them AWFUL) designed for the
breastfeeding mother; the video packaging includes a fomrula sample
5) It is actively seeking to undermine UNICEF Baby Friendly Hospital
Inistiative by feverishly promoting the use of the Breastfeeding Health
Initiative, much watered down version of the original that was NOT
supported by official representatives from the following organizations:
AAP, LLLI, ILCA, ACNM, etc.
6) It advertises directly to mothers via a direct mail program, called "The
Welcome Addition Club." (Welcome to new customers would be more accurate!)
7) AND, as if the above were note enough, it has entered the direct
marketing via TV by advertising a follow-on formula and mentioning phrases
such as "the same good product as our Similac for babies."  This from a
copmany that attempted to make hay in the sunshine by decrying such direct
TV advertising by other artificial baby milk companies.

Why is this important?  Several of us local to the headquarters plan to
picket and demonstrate against the vote and the company on the day of the
meeting. We would LOVE to identify and get mothers with babies to join us.
But we need to spread the word.

Also, persons who own stock can vote on the resolution. They need to vote
FOR the resolution: its language is to support (hear it, support) the WHO
Code.  The company is recommending a vote AGAINST the resolution.

If this is not enough, be aware that ROSS/ABBOTT violates the CODE in
developing countries, too. IBFAN monitoring has continuously documented
such violations for years.

Everyone, please spread the word. If you are part of another electronic
service, feel free to share this message with others.

Thank you.  (PS I will report on what happened at the meeting, even if we
cannot get in and can only picket those entering the building.)

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         %%  Kathleen G. Auerbach, PhD, IBCLC    %%
         %%        Lactation Services            %%
         %%        Homewood, Illinois            %%
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