Hello, All:
I am at home and had time to look this up in Milk, Money, and Madness
(Baumslag and Michels, 1994). From pp 169-170:
"On May 9, 1994, signaling a tremendous policy shift, President Clinton
made WHO's International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes
wordwide policy by joining with the other member nations at the World
Health Assembly in Geneva......
World health Resolution 47.5.....here is a summary of what was gained:
1. In theory, the US is now in support of the Code. The door is open at
last for the US to do what the Code calls for:"to take action appropriate
to [its] social and legislative framework and [its] overall development
objectives to give effect to the principles and aim of this Code,
including the enactment of legislation, regulations, or other appropriate
measures."
2. WHA Resolution 47.5 clarifies Resolution 39.28 (passed in 1986) and
affirms that all products under the scope of the Code, not just infant
formula, are not to be provided for free or at subsidized cost. It
states that this is intended FOR THE WHOLE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, not just
maternity wards and maternity hospitals. This language class closes
significant loopholes claimed by the industry.
3. WHA 47.5 also corroborates the position of the health care community
that most babies need NO OTHER FOOD tha breastmilk UNTIL THE AGE OF ABOUT
6 MONTHS and also emphasizes the need for local foods, not expensive,
imported, processed foods or follow-up milks--and continued
breastfeeding."
The source cited is Action News (ACA, Summer 1994). For the LCs who were
looking for some "teeth" to back up their own support of the Code in
their workplaces, I don't know if this is strong enough, since it is
still unsupported by legislation in the US. Seems to me that if your
professional code of conduct from ILCA and the WHO are standing on your
side, your bosses would have to take your concerns seriously.
Does anybody have an unedited copy of Resolution 47.5?
It would be nice to read the original language.
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC
Eugene, Oregon
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