Information below from:
Mike Brady 
Campaigns and Networking Coordinator 
Baby Milk Action, UK 


Please take a look at this petition on the AVAAZ site about an attack by Nestlé and other baby food companies in the Philippines on the country's baby food marketing laws:
http://bit.ly/JrwEo3

According to WHO 16,000 babies die in the Philippines every year due to inappropriate feeding. Companies make untrue claims implying that formula protects babies and boosts intelligence, while failing to provide adequate information on the risks to babies fed on formula or how to reduce the risks to babies who have to be fed on formula.

The Ministry of Health introduced stronger regulations on baby food marketing in 2006. These were immediately challenged by the industry in court. Pressure was put on the President by the US Chamber of Commerce to block the law. However, the regulations came into force after a successful international campaign in solidarity with the Philippines.

But the industry doesn't give up. A law is passing through the legislature that will allow companies to advertise baby milks, to contact mothers for so-called educational purposes and to sponsor and train health workers. This is unacceptable and violates internationally agreed marketing standards. It is being backed by IPNAP, the Infant and Pediatric Nutrition Association of the Philippines, consisting of Nestlé, Mead Johnson, Abbott and Fonterra. 

To find out more and sign and share the petition, go to: http://bit.ly/JrwEo3

As the industry tries to weaken the Philippines legislation, just yesterday (25 May 2012), the World Health Assembly adopted a new Resolution calling for STRENGTHENED measures to control the marketing of breastmilk substitutes. The Assembly, made up of the world's health ministries, called for safeguards against conflicts of interest. Companies can sell appropriately labelled products and provide scientific and factual information on these to health workers, but nothing more. Mothers have a right to independent information from health workers. Health workers should not be sponsored and trained by baby food companies. 

If Nestlé and the other companies have their way, the measures in the Philippines will be WEAKENED and company targeting of mothers and health workers will be legitimised. 

We stopped the industry in 2006/07 and can do so again - with your help. For a reminder of the last campaign, including film from UNICEF Philippines exposing how mothers are misled by company marketing, see the Baby Milk Action site at:
http://info.babymilkaction.org/philippines2012

Posted by Renee (in Vancouver)



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