International Baby Food Action Network

ICDC LEGAL UPDATES

Available now the latest Legal Update from January 2011 Link

The WBW 2011 Theme.

We are pleased to announce the World Breastfeeding Week theme for 2011 focusing on engaging and mobilising youth intergenerational work with the catchy slogan of: "Talk to me! Breastfeeding - a 3D Experience". The theme deals with communication at various levels and between various sectors.

Why 3D?

When we look at breastfeeding support, we tend to see it in two-dimensions: time (from pre-pregnancy to weaning) and place (the home, community, health care system, etc). But neither has much impact without a THIRD dimension – communication!

Communication is an essential part of protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. We live in a world where individuals and global communities connect across small and great distances at an instant’s notice. New lines of communication are being created every day, and we have the ability to use these information channels to broaden our horizons and spread breastfeeding information beyond our immediate time and place to activate important dialogue.

This third dimension includes cross-generation, cross-sector, cross-gender, and cross-culture communication and encourages the sharing of knowledge and experience, thus enabling wider outreach.

CELEBRATING WORLD AIDS DAY AND THE HOPE FOR AN HIV-FREE GENERATION

In 2010 we can celebrate the good news that it is possible for HIV positive mothers to give birth to babies who are HIV negative. And celebrate that a new generation is being born who can be protected from contracting the virus from their mothers. Read More

BREASTFEEDING AS MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHING THE MDGs

Despite a wide range of political and economic philosophies, the leaders of the world’s nations (at least the leaders of the 192 member-states of the United Nations) have finally agreed upon a single goal, rather, a collection of eight goals. During the 2000 Millennium Summit in New York City, the world’s leaders ratified the United Nations Millennium Declaration from which the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are taken. The eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender equality; reduction of child mortality rates; improvement of maternal health; combat of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malarial and other diseases; the safeguarding of environmental sustainability; and the strengthening of a global partnership for future development are the eight MDGs that are to be met by 2015. Full Version

BMJ Challenges 6 Months of Exclusive Breastfeeding

The BBC, the Guardian and other media are carrying stories about a new review which published in the British Medical Journal. Three of the four authors of this study, Mary Fewtrell, Alan Lucas and David Wilson, receive funding from the baby food industry. Prof Lucas in particular plays a key role in advising the UK baby food industry, and has opposed the WHO recommendation for many years. In 2003 he went so far as to appear for the defence when one of the largest baby food companies, SMA Wyeth was successfully prosecuted for illegal advertising by Trading Standards.

To read Full article Click Here

WHO has responded to the article. Please Click here to read

Other Related links
www.surgeongeneral.gov
http://info.babymilkaction.org/node/326
Baby Friendly
Surgeon General Factsheet

VERTICAL TRANSMISSION CUT BY 99%

International researchers, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Botswana, have discovered that anti retroviral drugs given to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers reduce mother to child transmission of HIV by 99%, this is according to The New England Journal of Medicine. The ground breaking discovery, which is the lowest in Africa, was made after a clinical study led by Robert Shapiro, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, Botswana Harvard Partnership and the MoH. Full Version

BREASTFEEDING: IS A MOTHERS RIGHT REGARDLESS OF HER LOCATION

The gift of life is the most precious thing a mother can impart to her child; breastfeeding is arguably the second. Baby formula can neither adequately replace the health benefits that breast milk provides nor does it replace the kind of early intimate relationship between a mother and a child that breastfeeding fosters. READ MORE

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