Elisabeth Sterken, national director of INFACT Canada, responds to the
damaging and speculative article as follows:-

"The article by Barry Meier appearing in The New Yrok Times and The Globe
and Mail in Canada with headlines questioning the wisdom on breastfeeding is
irresponsbiel and skewes the insufficient scientific data available.  The
solutions are complex and the tragedy of AIDS in Africa is terrible.  For
those of us working in breastfeeding promotion and protection, because it
prevents death and malnutrition for countless millions of babies and young
children around the world every day, these inflamatory headlines are
discouraging to say the least.  Our goal, in addressing the infant feeding
questions related to transmission of HIV, has always been to ensure that
breastfeeding and all its benefits would not be needlessly damaged and
undermined.  In addition, we guard against the attempts by the artificial
feeding industry to exploit the tragedy of AIDS to further its marketing aims.

"In the article by Barry Meier, details from a Soweto, South Africa study by
Dr. Glenda Gray were reported.  This research is as yet unpublished and has
received funding from the infant formula producer, Nestle.  Also, Dr. Gray
has up until now refused to share her data and methodology with
international agencies monitoring breastfeeding and HIV."

Jean Geary
Fundraiser, INFACT Canada
http://www.infactcanada.ca              [log in to unmask]